In A Moment
by brookieebabyy
Summary: My life could’ve been easy. A fairy tale ending, a happily ever after. But things never seem to happen the way we want, and it’s a disappointment to have your dreams shattered. MileyxNick
1. One

A/N: I was actually just writing the first part (the prologue) to get out my feelings, and then, I was writing the part, _their stories_, and I was like, hmm. Miley and Nick. Ideas started floating around, and I turned this into a story. The chapters will be shorter than some of my other stories, but this story has been incredibly easy to write lately, so hopefully updates wont be as bad as the other stories. Which, you should go check out. If you like this, you should check out Forever if you havent yet.

Anyways, let me know what you think, if it sounds interesting, if you want me to keep going.

Lots of thanks to jss2420, by the way, for editing this story. You're awesome :)

And I dont own anything either. Enjoy.

xx

**Prologue**

For some, things just fall into place. People call it fate. For some, hard work is required. There's no easy way out, but it's worth it in the end. For some, believing that giving up is easier is a good choice. But for others, we get trapped in. Sucked. And there's no easy way out.

My life could've been easy. I could've lived at home with my dad and my brother until I graduated from college, and then went to a prestigious university a few hours away. I would fall in love with a cute college boy, bring him home to dad, and then fate would be sealed. Happily ever after.

But things never seem to happen the way we want. Roads are blocked, paths cross, and people change. When I was young, my mother would read me the fairy tales. I was determined to have one of my own. I wanted to be like Sleeping Beauty- the prince kisses the girl and they trot into the forest on his shiny horse, and they live together in happiness.

It's a disappointment to have your dreams shattered.

But again, things never seem to happen the way we want. No matter how hard we try, perfection is just a word. It means nothing. It's just a superficial glance at something, when inside, everyone has their nightmares, their fears, _their stories._

And this is mine.

xx

One

"That's the last of all the college applications," I sighed and dropped my body onto the sofa. My dad placed a perfectly iced piece of chocolate cake on the table in front of me, and I groaned. "Dad, you know I'm on that diet. I _have_ to be skinny for this sorority, remember?"

He stared at me for a moment, and I'm not sure what the look I saw in his eyes was. "Miles, are you sure that this sorority is what you want for your freshman year of college? You're not even sure you got accepted from the school yet," he murmured, sitting on the end of the couch where my feet couldn't reach.

I rolled my eyes. "Duh, Dad. Mom was president in this sorority, so I've pretty much been guarenteed a spot in, and it would be a shame to miss out on this opportunity. And besides, it will be fun. I'm leaving behind all my Malibu friends anyways, so I'll need to branch out."

He frowned, and then picked up the plate and took it to the sink. He slowly scraped it down the sink, and then put the plate in the dishwasher. "If you're sure," he said finally, and I swung my legs around on the couch and stood up. I didn't need to hear his sad-talk just yet. I still had a few months before I was finally leaving.

I slid on my flip-flops and then walked down the back porch and on the beach towards Rico's. I found Lilly and Oliver sitting at our familiar blue table, a tradition that I would sadly miss. "Hey guys," I greeted, sitting down on the unoccupied chair next to my two best friends. "How's the college scouting looking?" I asked. They rolled their eyes in unison.

"Horrible," they both muttered. I sympathized, resting a hand on Lilly's arm.

"Now, now. Let's not be pessimistic. Something great will come along, I'm sure," I consoled.

They both glared. "Coming from the one who pretty much already has an acceptance letter from San Diego State. We don't have infamous mothers who were sorority presidents to give us leeway," Oliver spat.

I frowned. "Are you serious? I had to work to get into that school just as hard as you guys. Maybe if you guys spent less time skateboarding and more time studying for the SAT's, this wouldn't have happened. It's not my fault you guys are stuck here in Malibu with just a high school certificate," I replied bitterly, and then got up and stormed away.

It's safe to say that that was my first mistake.

xx

"Got all your boxes and bags?" My dad asked four months later, a early August wind sweeping through the car as he leaned against the door.

"Yep," I nodded, glancing back one last time at the bed of the truck where it was piled with brown cardboard boxes.

"I'll miss you, bud. Call me as soon as you get there. And remember, the only people worth trusting are the ones who like you for you. Just please, remember that, Miles. And I love you."

I smiled and hugged him one last time. "I love you too, Dad."

"Oh yeah," he added, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, "Lilly and Oliver wrote these for you." He pressed two folded pieces of paper into my hand. "They'll miss you, no matter what words were exchanged. You should give them a call or visit them on your way out." Fat chance. I was ready to get out of this place.

Mistake number two.

I drove down the scenic road next to the Pacific Ocean, the radio blaring old pop songs. I sang along, feeling free from having to hold back. Hannah was gone, two years gone, and long forgotten. I would be able to belt it out now without anyone noticing the resemblance.

Three hours later, I received in San Diego. The atmosphere was very much like Malibu, with the sunny beaches, hot lifeguards, and buildings and shops lining every corner. It felt much like home.

I drove up to the college and parked in front of the sorority. I was going to sell my car downtown later, anyways, since I wouldn't be needing it.

I pulled my purse over my shoulder and opened the car door, taking a deep breath to settle the nerves. I walked up the flower-lined walkway, and then knocked slowly on the wooden front door. It opened, and I heard a gaggle of girls in the other room. I looked at the girl at the door. She was wearing short, blue and pink striped pajama shorts and a tight, low cut white tanktop. Her skin was clear and tanned darkly, and her black hair framed around her face in layers. Her perfectly glossed lips dropped with an 'O' shape, and her voice yelled out, "Girls, come! Miley Stewart is here!"

Seconds later, I took a step back, because twenty or so girls came to the front door. "Oh my God, your mom is like, a legend!" a short, pretty blonde girl exclaimed.

I smiled. "Can I come in?" I asked.

xx

"So I'm Jade, and this is Elle," the girl from the front door said, gesturing to a girl next to her with shoulder length auburn hair and pale skin.

"Hey. It's so nice to meet you," I replied, setting my boxes down in the room I'd been shown. I was shocked at how big it was. There were mirrors covering a whole wall, and another was dedicated to makeup and beauty products.

"You'll be staying with us, and another freshman will come when we do the pledging. The makeup is all for share, any that you brought you can add to the collection. Your closet is right there, but don't be surprised if you find your favorite purple tights missing. Everyone likes to share here," Elle explaned.

I grinned in approval, and then erased the smile from my face when I remembered what she said. "Wait, pledging? I didn't know I had to do it too. Why am I already moved in, then?" I asked quickly.

"Don't worry," Jade assured with a mysterious grin played across her face. "You are a legend now. You're already guaranteed a spot. I even heard Kimberly, the sorority president, thinking about putting you vice president, even as a freshman. That's, like, a huge honor," she gushed.

I smiled, and then they left me to finish unpacking.

San Diego seemed perfect, for now at least. It seemed flawless, easy. This sorority thing was going to end up being the best thing that happened to me, whether my father and friends approved or not. I was accepted without even saying a word.

But Elle and Jade seemed to forget to tell me all the mistakes that can happen here.

Like trusting someone you shouldn't trust.

Like falling in love.


	2. Two

A/N: Thanks for the good response to this story :) It's been fun writing it. Nick appears in this chapter.

Recently I've become obsessed with Watchman, What Is Left Of The Night by Greycoats and Pitter-Pat by Erin McCarley, so if you like to listen to slow but pretty songs while writing or reading, you should listen to them. They're both extremelly relaxing. Just had to share that.

Thanks lotss to jss2420 for editing.

Oh, and thoughts about the Niley encounter at the Golden Globes? I was just dying for one of them to say hi to Miley. They looked like they kind of wanted to, but were afraid to. That would've been epic.

And I dont own anything or anyone.

* * *

Two

"Frat party tonight," someone called as I chewed slowly on a toasted bagel, knowing that even with the bread's empty calories, I'd still probably have to throw it up later.

A few girls squealed, and Tory came in the room with a piece of paper in her hand. "It's the boys down the street. You know, with that gorgeous mysterious guy. It'll be so much fun. It's their welcoming party."

"What mysterious guy? What's his name?" I asked.

They all turned to me and smiled, and I looked down and blushed. "Don't be embarrassed," Penny laughed. "You're so new, it's cute. So this frat down the street, they throw these amazing parties, and there's this guy that's always there. He has this brown, curly hair that looks like it belongs on a doll its so perfect, but he never talks. He's always in the background, never talking to anyone or drinking or hooking up. Every single one of us have tried to at least dance with him, but he just looks at you and walks away. It makes me wonder why he's in a fraternity if he doesn't like to party."

I nodded my head, and finished eating the bagel as the girls continued gossiping about this boy. He seemed interesting, but I assumed my chances with him were incredibly slim, especially if he had turned down all these other beautiful girls.

I went to the gym later with two other girls. When I got back, I showered and throroughly blow dried my hair. It was three in the afternoon, so I put on my pink bikini and oversized gold aviators, picked up my latest issue of _People_, and sat outside to tan. The great thing about San Diego was that it was always warm.

The girls started getting ready for the party around 7, so I followed their lead. I curled my hair and applied my makeup – more than usual, I'll admit – and slipped on my gold, sequined dress. Jade gushed over my dress, insisting that she had the perfect pair of shoes, and handed me a pair of gorgeous black Manolos.

I put on the 5-inch heels, wobbling slightly, and headed downstairs where the rest of the girls were waiting. Already with red cups in their hands, beer filled to the edge, lips perfectly glossed and legs tanned and shaved, everyone looked like celebrities. The ones I met as Hannah Montana weren't even close to as gorgeous as the girls standing beside me were.

"Let's go!" I grinned, pumping a fist into the air. The group erupted into a crowd of cheers, and we headed out the door. They led the way to a similar, but more boy-ish version of our sorority house down the street. Already, the music was pumping, and the house was busting with people all over.

I felt slightly uncomfortable as I entered the scene. Partying wasn't a big thing for me in high school, and I hadn't had much beer before, and much less _experience_ with a guy, but those were two minor details that I would act confident enough to brush off.

I smirked at the cute blonde that walked by, as he grinned, and then his eyes lowered to check out the cleavage. "Dance later?" he asked cockily.

"If you're lucky," I teased, and walked the opposite direction. I went into the kitchen and was served a full cup of beer. I looked warily at it, then took a small sip. It burned down my throat, but I swallowed it as quickly as possible. I walked out and found Jade. "Where's the mystery man?" I yelled over the pumping music.

She grinned. "I'll show you!" she yelled into my ear. She took my free hand and led me to the next room. She pointed to the corner. "Good luck!" she exclaimed and laughed, and then left my side.

Curious, I walked around the people and the barf splattered across the carpet, and found a quiet, curly haired boy sitting in the corner. He had earphones plugged in his ear, and his head was nodding with an unfamiliar beat. His brown eyes, the same shade as his hair, was downcast, and his rolled up red plaid shirt was stainless and freshly ironed. His hands were rested upon his dark blue jeans.

"Hi," I smiled to him. He didn't look up. Of course, I thought. At a party like this, you cant hear someone at all, and if the person is listening to music, it doesn't make it any better.

I sat down next to him against the wall, and he looked over at me and smiled. "Whatcha listening to?" I asked.

He looked down and blushed. "Elvis Costello," he murmured, only loud enough for me to hear.

I looked at him in surprise. "Really? Alison is my favorite song!" I said.

"No way!" he laughed. "That's what I'm listening to right now!"

I laughed at the coincidence, and he took the iPod out of his pocket and pressed Pause. He then took the earphones out of his ears and wrapped them around the iPod carefully.

"So what are you doing at a place like this?" I yelled over the music.

He shrugged. "I guess I was a legacy or something for this fraternity. I was here last year, and I don't know why I don't just quit. It's stupid, the way these guys just party all night, drinking and hooking up with girls, and they cant even remember it in the morning."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm sort of a legacy too, I guess. But I wanted to be in it. I wanted to be somewhere where I belonged," I shrugged. I was surprised at how honest I was being with this stranger. How attached I felt to him.

"Do you want to get out of here?" I asked. As important as my first party in this sorority was to me, the chance to get to know this mystery guy was even more intriguing.

He grinned, and got up from the ground. He offered his hand and I took it graciously, and he pulled me up from the ground. His hands were warm and soft, the kind that you could hold all day.

We sneaked out the front door, and no one seemed to notice. The air was still warm, the wonderful summer night warm. The stars were hidden behind the smog, and other parties going on could be heard from the distance.

"What are you majoring in?" he asked. Now that I could hear him clearly, I realized how beautiful his voice was, even though he was just talking. I tried to imagine him singing, which would be even more incredible.

"As of right now, business, but plans always change for me. But I would like to start my own company one day." I looked over at him, and he looked like he was concentrating on something. "What? Why do you look like you're thinking so hard?" I asked.

"I don't get it. You seem really smart, down to earth, and like you could have a whole future planned out right in front of you. How in the world have you ended up with those girls? Sure, it might seem like fun, but if you want to be in a sorority that actually works for what they want _and_ parties, join another. Those girls snap their fingers or wave their wands and they get everything they ask for. It's _sick_ watching them. It's just hard picturing you like them."

I took a deep breath. I'd thought the same things, too, but I would never admit to myself that those were actual feelings. "Well, what about you, Mr. Highly Opinionated? I know you said you were dragged in by a legacy, but so was I and I had the choice. Why are you always sulking in the corner when you can join another frat, one that actually works for what they want?" I mocked teasingly, but we both knew that there was truth behind it.

He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. "I'm going to start my own record label. Music is my passion. I just haven't quit because… because I'm afraid that my dad will be disappointed in me if I do," he said quietly.

I nodded, letting him know that I would listen, but he didn't have to tell me anything. "I just… this isn't where I want to be. I want to be performing in front of millions, selling out concerts, and singing. I want to be writing deep songs that fans sing along to, and I want to become a legend." He had a faraway look in his eyes, and I realized that everything he was longing for I already had experienced, and had given it up selfishly. I wish I could just give it all to him now, so he would make more use of the fame than I did.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be putting all of this on you," he apologized, his eyes back open and now concentrating on the road ahead of us.

"It's okay," I smiled. "It's nice to have someone to talk to."

"Yeah."

That night, I fell asleep thinking of a boy. A boy I didn't know the name of. A boy with beautiful brown eyes and a heart full of passion.

A boy I was starting to **fall** for.

And everything changed.

Mistake number three.

* * *

A/N: Thoughts? Reviews are always welcome.


	3. Three

A/N: Wow, thanks a lot to the reviewers! You guys are the best!

And thanks to jss2420 for editing :)

Disclaimer: I dont own anything

* * *

Three

I tiptoed into the silent house, my heels in my hand and a silly grin plastered across my face. I looked back at the boy and waved. He waved back, and I turned the knob of the door and pushed it open. The house was eerily silent and empty, and I looked at the clock above the kitchen stove. It read 12:39 AM. I wasn't surprised.

I ran up the stairs to my room and placed Jade's Manolos back in her closet and unzipped my dress. I let it drop to the floor, found an old, ratty t-shirt, and pulled it over my body. I slipped a small pair of booty shorts on, then tied my hair up in a messy bun and flopped onto my bed. I smiled, thinking of my evening, and the person I spent it with.

And I didn't even know his name.

The next morning, I woke up later than usual. I walked down the stairs, expecting everyone to be passed out with massive hangovers, but they were all staring at me with curious eyes. "What?" I asked meekly.

"What happened last night? Did you sleep with mystery boy? What's his name? Is he a good kisser? What did you talk about?" I was being bombarded with questions from every girl in the house.

I smiled and looked down, picking the top of my black nail polish. "Um, he likes Elvis Costello, singing, and has a golden retriever?" I said in a questioning tone, looking up to see their eyes more alert. I guess hangovers didn't hold true for these girls.

"Tell us his name already and whether or not you guys hooked up!" Jenny exclaimed from the back.

"I actually don't even know his name, and we didn't even hug goodbye," I shrugged. Their mouths shot open, except for Penny, who asked, "Why not?"

I struggled to find an excuse so they wouldn't think I was childish. "I- I didn't want to move too fast. I mean I got the speechless boy to say something, so I wasn't going to ruin my chances by doing anything that would scare him away."

They muttered things under their breaths, and I turned beet red. "I'm seeing him again today, though," I added quickly. It was a lie, but what they don't know wouldn't hurt anyone.

They murmured words of appraisal, and I beamed, and then went back upstairs, claiming I had to get ready. I went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, trying to calm down my nerves. What I couldn't understand was how I was actually lying this easily. And deep, deep down, I was afraid it was going to become my life.

I changed into a white summer dress and slipped on my gladiators, then straightened my hair. I applied makeup, less than last night, and threw my purse over my shoulder. I figured that I'd have to get out of the house for them to believe me, so I might as well walk to lunch. Besides, the other girls were pledging the other freshman today, and I was excluded since I was only a freshman.

"Bye girls!" I called. I heard a chorus of byes and good lucks.

I shut the door behind me and walked down the path to the road. As I walked by the main campus, I saw the new students saying goodbye to their parents and carrying boxes up to dorms, and I felt a small pang of homesickness. The school was decorated in its main colors and the band was playing in the distance, getting the incoming freshman and returning students ready for school starting in three days. Again, there was a small part of me that wished that I could be with these kids, with the real college experience, but then remembered how lucky I was that I was even in the sorority I was in.

I reached in my purse and moved my wallet to reach for my sunglasses. I unfolded them and put them on. I had no idea where I was walking to, or for how long, but I was certain that there would be a food restraunt somewhere, just hopefully close. I didn't know how long my gold gladiators would last.

The early afternoon was brisk, and I walked past many runners, moms with baby strollers, and couples holding hands. It was a typical day in San Diego, and from my experience with tourists back in Malibu, I could easily spot who was visiting from different states, and silently mocked them in my head.

I had to do a double take when I noticed that I was walking next to a small sandwich café. I smiled and walked in, the bell chiming with a ring. The owner greeted me, and then continued making the sandwich for the customer in line. I stood at the back of the line behind a tall, muscular older man. I took out my phone and checked for messages, and texted Jake to see how his movie was doing, since we were still close, almost closer than I was with Oliver and Lilly, and had no feelings for each other whatsoever anymore.

By the time I answered his response it was my turn to order. I ordered the usual- turkey and cheese on white, lightly toasted, all the extras. I paid for a drink and chips and then took out a ten dollar bill from my wallet. After I was handed my change, I went and filled up my cup with Coke, and went outside to find a seat in the sun. I found a cute table towards the back, where it seemed more private, and with an umbrella blocking the sun's glare.

I was opening my bag of chips when I heard a chair move close to me, and I looked up to see the guy from the night before sitting in the chair in front of me. He was wearing black and white Ray-Bans and a white polo and dark jeans.

"Wow, stalker much?" I teased.

He grinned, and took a sip from his drink. "Nah, this is my favorite place to eat. And apparently yours, too. Gosh, we have more in common than we think." He looked surprised.

"I just came here today, wanted to get out of the house, you know?"

"Yeah," he agreed. "By the way, you sat down at _my_ table," he smirked. "This is where I usually sit. I would've kicked you out, but I figured you were still upset that you had to go a whole 12 hours without seeing me," he teased.

I laughed softly. "I don't see your name written on this table," I retorted. His eyebrows furrowed. I reached into my purse and pulled out a purple sharpie. I wrote, in big bubby letters, _Miley's table_.

He smiled. "Your name is Miley?" he asked.

I nodded. "And yours is?"

"I'm not telling you," he replied, and took a big bite of his sandwich. I scoffed.

"Then tell me something else. Something nobody knows. A secret," I asked.

He bit his lip and looked down. "Okay, but you have to say something too." I nodded my head. "I've only had one girlfriend," he said quietly.

I looked up at him. How could he, the most gorgeous guy I've met since Orlando Bloom, only have had one girlfriend? It just didn't add up. "Seriously?"

He nodded, his cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. "Your turn."

"Okay. You have to swear not to tell anyone. And this is a big secret too, so you'll have to tell me your name too."

"Alright."

I couldn't believe what I was doing. I was telling a stranger, who I'd known for less than 24 hours, my biggest secret. It didn't make sense, but I had trust in him that he would understand, and that he wouldn't tell anyone.

I crossed my fingers under the table. "You know the big superstar Hannah Montana?" He nodded. "That… that's me."

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. He stared at me with a blank face, and then slowly shook his head.

"What? God, I just told you the secret that only my family and three closest friends know and you shake your head at me? I knew I shouldn't have told you," I muttered.

"I can't believe it. Last night I went on about how I longed to be a musician, and the whole time you were one? And the fact that you just threw it away like it was a piece of trash disgusts me. Some of us actually work for what we want. Wow, you actually are like your sorority sisters. All of you are the same!" He started getting up out his chair.

"Wait!" I pleaded. He paused from getting up, waiting for an answer. "What's your name?" I asked.

He laughed, and scooted his chair back in. "Wow, that was kind of jerky of me to do. I'm sorry."

I smiled. "It's okay. I already figured the whole very opinionated thing out, don't worry about it."

He extended his arm in front of me, and I shook it. "Hi, I'm Nick."

And with that, he welcomed me into his life, and I was changed **forever**, whether I liked it or not.

* * *

A/N: So... yeah. A little short, I know. Thoughts?

And what did you guys think about JB's live chat yesterday? I wasnt able to watch the entire thing cause I had somewhere to be, but I watched most of the rest on YouTube. Joe seemed kind of depressed, Nick talked.. a lot, for him at least, and Kevin was... Kevin. Their one from 07 was better, in my opinion. But when they sang Please Be Mine... my heart melted.

Review? :)


	4. Four

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews:)

And yes, to answer half of you, I am aware of the EPIC niley comeback! I was just waiting for the hug when I was watching the inagural, cause I saw him walk over there, and when he hugged her it was so exciting! And then there was the behind the scenes Bow-Wow vid with them talking in the back, and then the recent vid I saw on youtube (from mileyworld or something?) with her saying she loved Nick! (Well, and Joe and Kevin and Demi), but still! There's hope for 2009!

Enjoy this chapter. Nicks not in this one, and its a little dry, I guess, but it has to happen. Niley will be in the next chapter, I promise.

xx

Four

When I got back home, I was in need for some serious girl-bonding. I needed to share what I was feeling for Nick with _someone, _and I had a feeling that someone wasn't going to be in the house right now.

I pulled my blackberry out of my purse and scrolled down my contact list, reaching Lilly's name. I pressed Call, and waited as the phone rang.

"Hello?" A breathy voice answered. "Who is this?"

"This is Miles, Lilly. What's up?"

I heard a laugh. "Miley? Seriously?" she said sarcastically into the phone.

"Yeah, I want to talk. You got an hour or so?" I asked nervously. We hadn't talked since our confrontation months ago. "I got some boy scoop!" Lilly never turned down boy scoop.

"Tell it to someone who cares," she replied bitterly.

I was instantly taken back. "Lilly? What happened to you? I'm sorry for what I said on the beach, I really didn't mean it!"

"Miley, if you really cared, I think you would've at least said goodbye. Have you even read our letters yet?" she asked.

_The letters. _Even though my dad only gave them to me a week ago, it seemed like ages. "Well, you see, I haven't, you know, had that much time, you know, lately," I mumbled incoherently.

"Yeah, so busy that you got boy scoop," she mocked. "I'll talk to you when you turn back to a human again."

She hung up the phone, and I pressed the off button on mine. Was Oliver as bitter as she was? Were they really _that_ mad at me?

I scrambled through my desk drawers, looking for the two folded notes my dad had given to me. I found them, and opened Lilly's first. The note was folded many times, and a bunch of words were crossed out.

It read:

_Dear Miley,_

_This is weird. We never write letters. But we never fight for this long and don't make up, either, so I guess things can change. I hope that this wont end up being a goodbye letter, and you'll take time from your college life to write me every once in a while, or please, just say goodbye before you go. You were my best friend since you moved here in 7__th__ grade, and it breaks my heart to think that that would change._

_I just want to say a few things. First, I was hurt by what you said. You accused us of not trying to get into college, but you know me. I don't give up at anything. College just isn't where I'm supposed to be at this point. Which brings me to something else I've been needing to tell you._

_I'm dating Oliver. I've been dating him for almost a whole year now. We didn't want to tell you because we didn't want it to be awkward._

_But the thing is, I_ love _him._

_We fight, almost all the time, but I can imagine spending the rest of my life with him. You might think that's creepy or gross, but I just needed to tell you. Oliver is writing a note to you too, at this exact moment, actually, and I'm sure he'll tell you too, but I am hoping you'll read my letter first so you can't say I didn't tell you first._

_Miley, please. Don't come back if you've changed. Hell, you've already changed. It was inevitable. But if you show up at my doorstep, selfishly asking me for a place to stay because your dad doesn't even want you in his house, don't be surprised when I shut the door in your face._

_Harsh, I know._

_But so is the world. And people change. I already know you have._

_So, feel free to write back, or say goodbye before you leave. Please. I'd appreciate it, just to hug you one last time._

_With lots of love, _

_Lilly._

I wiped away the tears that were streaming endlessly down my cheeks. I never knew that Lilly didn't want me coming back. And I had no idea that she was dating Oliver.

I bit my lip, bracing myself for the pain I knew Oliver's letter was going to cause. He always was a mush at heart.

_My dearest Miley,_

_I shouldn't call you that. You insulted my girlfriend. And yes, if you haven't read Lilly's letter yet, we're dating. And there's nothing you can do about it._

_But you know what, Miley? No matter how many harsh or bitter things I'll say to you, you'll still be my best friend, forever and always. Thinking about the day that you leave for college, that you put a heart around in my Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition calendar, my heart aches. I don't want you to go._

_I wont bug you anymore if you want to live the college life, the life you long so much for. The life we'll never have, but we will live our experiences through you._

_I hope, I really truly hope, that you are going to be happy there._

_Oh my God. I'm crying right now. Can you see the tear stains on this paper? It's so embarresing. Lilly is staring at me right now. Ugh, Lilly, look away!_

_Sorry. I'm just a little… emotional. I don't know what I'll do when Lilly and I get in a fight and I don't know who to run to to talk about it. I don't know who I'll talk to when I fail my stupid math test and my mom threatens to kill me. I don't know where I'll go to eat pancakes on Saturday mornings._

_So Miley, never forget me. I hope that through your busy life, you'll find a way to just think of me, and remember that I'll always be here for you. No one can ever make me feel differently._

_I'm going to go now. I'm crying too hard._

_But Miley? I love you. You know that._

_With much, much love,_

_Oliver._

My heart sank as I read those last 5 words, and more tears streaked down my skin. I took out my cell phone and pressed New Message. "Ollie, I just got your letter. I'm so sorry I didn't call before. I miss you guys so much and hope you're doing great. xx. Miles." I clicked on Oliver's name in the contact box, and then pressed send.

I waited a few minutes, then received a response. _"Sorry, M. Please, I miss you, but don't text me anymore. Don't make this harder than this has to be."_

I layed down in bed and pulled the covers over my head, refusing to let the other girls hear me sobbing. I denied believing that this place was changing me. I had only been there a week, after all. How much can a place change you?

But I guess the real question was, How much can a _person_ change you?

That question could be answered two ways. The first that came to mind was Nick. I trusted him with my heart in just less than a day, but I wasn't sure he would end up changing me for the worse. There was a feeling, a tug on my heart, that things were going to work out with him. The thought of a future spending forever with him seemed distant, but a happy future nontheless.

Then there are my new friends, my sorority sisters. I didn't have to think about that answer. But my mom had been president and she turned out to be a wonderful person, as far as I'd heard from my Dad and remembered from the short, early years I spent with her. I hoped that things would work out. I didn't want to quit because I felt like I was changing.

When was changing ever _bad_?

I pondered both questions. Mistake number four.

xx

A/N: I know. Definitely not my best, but I promise that next chapter will be better :)

Review, please. Tell me how excited you are about the recent nileyness!

hope you all have a great weekend :)

-B


	5. Five

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, kiddies. You're the best :)

Finals are FINALLY over, and so is winter formal (lets just say I partied wayy too hard and I can barely keep my eyes open right now), so hopefully that means more updates sooner?  
I hope you like this chapter :) We got some Niley action, my friends. Sorry if its a bit jumpy.

**Two things I forgot to mention earlier on.** First, sorry if Nick and/or Miley seem a bit AU. This is years after the show, so Miley has grown up and matured, and Nick was never apart of JB or any of that (but his brothers ARE Joe and Kev) so he's wittier and sarcastic, but still has a shy side. Second, Nick is a year older than Miley. Let me know if you're confused at all.

muchos gracias to the lovely jss2420 for editing this

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Five

"Miley!" the girls called from downstairs. "Come down!"

I shut my laptop closed and pushed it off my lap, then swung my legs around and hopped off the bed. I skipped downstairs, and found all the girls sitting around the long dinner table waiting for me.

"Hey!" I greeted with a cheerful smile, regardless of the events of the afternoon.

"Hey, Miley. We're eager to hear about your date with mystery boy, but we have some news to discuss," Kimberly, the sorority president, simpered with a smile. I sat down at an empty seat between Heather and Kate.

I nodded to her, and she began. "We have chosen the girls that will be joining our sorority. Friday night, we will be having a pledging ceremony to welcome them, so be sure you have a date and a fabulous dress. Miley, this pledging ceremony also includes you. So the cleaning service is coming in the morning to get the place ready, while we all, including the new girls, will be at the spa and salon all day. Alright?"

A chorus of agreement echoed through the room. "Okay good," Kimberly nodded. "So how did it go?" she said seconds later, the entire room erupting into giggles. I blushed. Thankfully this time I wouldn't have to lie.

"It was great," I smiled, and I imagine I had a dreamy look in my face. That's what brown-eyed boys did to me. "We had lunch at a cute little sandwich bistro and talked for a while."

"About what?" Heather asked.

I wouldn't tell them our secrets. Even if we were 'sisters', we both swore they would be kept secrets. "About… life. High school. Family. You know. And I got his name," I grinned.

Gasps flew from mouths. "Nick," I elaborated, my grin not being able to stretch any more.

"No way!" Jade exclaimed, pushing her chair back and running over to engulf me in a big hug. "This, girl, is the reason we need you on this sorority."

I blushed. Nick was just a guy to me, but they made it seem like he was God. "Yeah… he is amazing," I sighed.

"Oh my God! You love him!" Jade exclaimed.

I shook my head. "No… not yet."

I began retelling them all about our afternoon, leaving out how we didn't mean to meet there and our shared secrets. I knew that now, there was no going back. The sorority was my home now, and they needed me as much as I needed them. I wasn't sure whether to be happy, or to be scared.

xx

I found myself sitting at Nick's table at the sandwich shop the next afternoon. I was taking a sip of my soda and checking my messages on my phone when I heard a plastic chair move in front of me; déjà vu.

I grinned and looked up from the screen, and then lifted up my aviator sunglasses. "So I was thinking," I grinned, cocking an eyebrow.

He looked at me curiously with a playful smile plastered across his face. "About what? About how you're madly in love with me?" he smirked.

"Ha," I laughed as fake as I could muster. "You're funny," I shot back sarcastically. "Anyways. So I'm sure you know about this ceremony that I'm being forced into..."

He sighed. "I know, we're being forced into going too."

I nodded. "So I thought that it would…uh, suck less… if you came with me."

He shrugged and looked around. "Well, you know. I'll have to check my calendar," he teased.

"Whatever. I didn't need you anyways," I scoffed. I knew he was joking, but two can play that game.

"I'm kidding!" he exclaimed. "Of course I'll go with you."

"Great," I smiled, and then reached across the table and took his phone. I programmed my number in it, and then got up from my seat, lowering my sunglasses. "Nice chatting with you." I threw away my lunch in the trash can and walked away. I could've sworn I heard him laugh.

xx

"All done," the makeup artist stated, and swiveled the chair around. I looked in the mirror, and was pleased with my look. My eyes were highlighted by dark gold eyeshadow and thick eyeliner, something Hannah would wear, for sure, and my hair was straightened and pulled back with a diamond barrette.

"Great, thanks," I replied. I opened my wallet and took out a 100 dollar bill pressing it into her hand. "Keep the change."

She smiled at me and nodded, and I got up from the chair. I went to the front of the salon where a few girls were waiting, since they were done too. Our group had split up, since there were too many of us to fit in one salon and be finished by six, and there were only a few girls left who were still getting made up.

When we were finally finished, we took the SUV back to the house. I was surprisingly relaxed, mostly because all of my tensed muscles had been massaged and the facial still had my face tingling, but I couldn't deny the fact that there was a small part of me begging to quit now. Begging to just go to regular college and be a regular student.

I unbuttoned my white oxford and unzipped and pulled off my dark jeans. I took my gold strapless dress off the hanger and stepped into it. I pulled it over my chest and zipped the side, and then scrummaged in my closet to find my black Louboutins, slipping them on my feet.

I looked in the mirror, and I saw new Miley again. If I was told freshman year of high school that this was were I would be in four years, I would laugh and secretly wish that I would really be here, but now that the time had come, I was suddenly nervous.

The knocking on the door and the text that said "I'm here" from Nick cleared all the butterflies.

I answered the door, and then hurried back upstairs for a second to grab my black clutch. I ran back down out of breath, and he was standing there grinning at me. I rolled my eyes and slapped him on the arm, and then really looked at him. He looked beyond describable in a crisp navy blue suit, a white button up- the top four buttons undone, giving me a nice view of his hairless and tan chest- and a loose black tie.

"You look great," I smiled. I noticed his eyes running over my body and dress too.

"You look even better," he responded. "I'm sure to have the hottest date tonight," he said confidently. I glanced back into the house, no guests having had arrived yet, and saw Emily and Jenny standing there with their mouths hanging open.

"I'll be back in a few!" I called, and hooked his arm in mine. We went across the street and sat down on the curb, watching everyone arrive at the party. His fingers were intertwined with mine, and his skin was soft and warm. Not a word was exchanged, he knew how anxious I was, but the silence was comfortable, not awkward like it would have been with anyone else.

About twenty minutes later, we decided it would be good to go back in, seeing as a lot of people had arrived. As soon as we walked in, we saw a large crowd of people mingling and talking over the loud music, all wearing their nicest dresses and tuxes. Me and Nick looked, by far, the most casual, but that didn't matter. It worked; we balanced each other out.

We greeted our friends and socialized, but never left each others' side. I felt alone without him by my side, and I could easily say he felt the same. It was time for the freshman to get pledged, so I had to get lined up with the rest of the girls. We were called one by one to officially be pledged into the sorority.

The moment came, the moment that I was next in line. Nick's hand rested softly on my back. I looked up at him and smiled nervously, and he took my hand and squeezed it gently. "It's time," he whispered.

"Miley Ray Stewart, escorted by Nicholas Jerry Jonas," Kimberely called.

Right before I took that first step, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to ignore the claps being heard. Thoughts were being pushed in my head, and I didn't know which one to listen to. I opened my eyes back up less than a second later, and walked forward.

Everything seemed like it was happening all at once, but as I walked towards Kimberely, my moms image appeared in my head, smiling at me. _This is for her_, I told myself, _and nothing else matters_.

I think that throughout my life, I had always expected that being pledged into the sorority would be the moment when my life felt whole and complete, like nothing else could ever be better, but it almost felt the opposite in a way.

But there was no going back. I was in it for life, now.

xx

After all the pledges had been finished, we were encouraged to eat, catering provided by a seafood restaurant downtown. Nick and I got in the buffet line, white china plates in hand, and waited to be served. Our plates filled up and we both took flutes of champagne.

"Listen, I have to ask you something," Nick stated, walking towards the back doors. I followed him.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked. He opened the doors and walked to the far end of the yard, next to the pool, where a small table was set up. There were a few couples roaming around the yard, but it was quiet and serene, as opposed to the inside of the house. He set his plate of food down on the table, and then walked over to pull out my chair for me. I graciously sat down, and he sat across from me.

He put his napkin on his lap, and me mine, and then took a long sip of champagne. "I know we've only known each other for a few days," he started after gulping down the drink, "but I've felt closer to you in these few days than to anyone else I've ever known. I don't even think my mom knows me as well as you do now."

I smiled. "Yeah, I feel the same way."

"So… I was wondering if you would be my girlfriend?" he asked quietly, his brown eyes looking up at me. "I know I might joke around with you a lot, but this isn't a little joke, I promise. I'm completely serious. I'm crazy about you."

I grinned. "Of course I would."

He took my hand in his and squeezed it gently, and then we began to eat.

At that moment, everything felt right. Like everything that was supposed to happen happened, and everything was fallen into place. Like nothing could be better.

* * *

A/N: There you have it. Thoughts? Questions? Comments?

Enjoy your weekends :)

love, bee


	6. Six

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and to jss2420 for being a fabulous beta. This chapter is probably the fluffiest its been, so I hope you like.

Disclaimer: I dont own anything

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Six

"Nick! Put me down!" I squealed, hitting him playfully on his arm. Blood was rushing to my head from being carried upside down.

"You're coming in!" he yelled, almost to the water's edge now. His sturdy hands were wrapped around my waist, holding me up on his shoulder.

"It's cold!" I complained, even though the beach was close to 100 degrees.

He laughed, and I looked down to see the ocean beneath us. He shifted me around and took me off his shoulders, placing me gently in the shallow water. "See, its not that bad!" he exclaimed. I shrugged, and he wrapped his arms around my bare waist and pulled me towards him. He lowered his head and kissed me lightly on the lips, leaving them tingling. His fingers touched them softly, and then he dunked his head in the water. I stood waiting for him to come back up for air, and when he did, he shook his hair like a dog, spraying me all over. I squealed and shivered, and he picked me up. I wrapped my legs around his body and my arms around his neck.

"You're crazy," I muttered into his ear, resting my head in the crook of his neck.

"That's why you love me," he smirked, and tilted my head up to press his lips against mine. I pulled away, and shoved him under the water playfully, jumping off of him. He came back up for air, and grinned. "I hope you know what this means," he challenged. I stared at him. "War!" he yelled, and splashed me with water. I retorted and splashed back, and before I knew it, I was soaking wet.

After our 'war', we emerged from the water and hurried up the sand to our towels. We dried off, and then lay in the sun side by side, our hands intertwined. "I'm so glad you're my girlfriend," he murmured, his lips inches from my cheek. I turned to him.

"I'm so glad you're my boyfriend," I mumbled back, and our lips touched again.

"Can I take you to dinner tonight?" he asked. His thumb caressed my cheek, and his other hand pushed my curly brown locks behind my ear.

"Of course," I smiled.

A few hours later, we wrapped our towels around our bodies and slung our bags over our shoulders and began to trudge back up the beach to the road. We walked the 15 minutes back to our school, and then parted ways once we stood in front of my sorority house. "Pick you up at 7?" he asked.

"See you then," I smiled before standing on my toes and placing my lips on his one last time. I pulled away and ran up the stairs, and looked back at him and waved before opening the door and going inside.

I rushed upstairs and turned on my laptop, jumping onto my bed. I logged in, and then removed my bathing suit and wrapped a robe around my body while I waited for it to load. When it finally did, I clicked on my email and the internet. I got the emails from the school, reminding me about the first day of school tomorrow and my classes, and from my dad and Jake. I replied to the emails from them, and then closed it and got up from the bed and walked across the hallway to the bathroom. I turned on the shower, and as soon as the water was warm, I stepped inside. I washed my hair and body and shaved my legs and arms, and then got back out of the shower, turning the water off. I wrung my hair free of excess water, and then dried my body off with a white towel and stepped back into my robe.

I walked back into my room and sat back down on my bed in front of my computer while I waited for my hair to dry more, since I wasn't going to do anything to it tonight. I roamed around on the internet for a little bit, checked my email again, and did some shopping, and then went back into the bathroom to blow-dry the rest of my hair. I applied makeup and pulled my hair back in a thin black headband, and then went into my bedroom to get dressed. I looked at the clock, and it flashed 6:03. I went into my closet and rummaged for a few minutes when I heard someone enter the room. "Big date?" I heard Jade ask behind me.

I turned around and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah," I muttered.

"You and Nick have been spending a lot of time together lately," she said, not looking directly at me. I wasn't sure if there was a meaning behind her words.

I nodded. "We're pretty close."

"Do you love him?" she asked, fingering a loose thread on her black t-shirt.

I bit my lip and smiled. "Yeah. I mean, I haven't told him yet, but I know I do."

She hesitated for a moment. "Just… be careful, okay?"

I nodded slowly. "Okay," I said softly.

She stared at me for a few long seconds, and I was uncomfortable under her gaze. "I have a dress you can borrow, if you want," she suggested, and the awkward moment was over.

I smiled. "Thanks, that sounds great. I feel like nothing will be good enough."

She led me to her part of the closet, and pulled out a short black dress. "This would look adorable with some red pumps," she said. "Your Jessica Simpson's would look amazing."

I nodded and took the dress from her hand. "Thanks so much, Jade. You're a lifesaver."

She smiled and left the closet, leaving me alone in the room with heaps of clothes surrounding me. Her words rang in my ears clearly_, be careful_. I tried my best to convince myself that she was just jealous.

I pulled the dress over my head and zipped the zipped on the side. I took her advice and stepped into my red Jessica Simpson heels, and then found a red leather purse in the corner of my clothes. I put all my things inside, and then went downstairs. There was still 30 anxious minutes until Nick would arrive. I sat down at the counter and took out my phone, writing a text to Jackson. I hadn't spoken to him in days.

While I was typing, I heard the girls gossiping in the other room, and couldn't help but eavesdrop when I heard my name being mentioned.

"It's so sad, she has no idea. I mean, neither did we until a few weeks ago. It's so crazy."

I wrinkled my eyebrows in confusion. What were they talking about? I listened harder, trying to make out specific words and voices.

"He's just going to break her heart like he did hers. She's in the exact same position as Hayden. The same thing is going to happen," another voice whispered.

Who was Hayden? Was she the old girlfriend? Maybe they just had a tough breakup, but I knew that we shared something different, something special. I was sure that this Hayden girl was just exaggerating when she talked about him.

Figuring I had nothing to worry about, I turned my attention back to my texts. I wasn't going to let them fill my ears with pointless gossip, when I knew the truth. Me and Nick were in love, and that was that.

The doorbell rang loudly through the house, the harsh whispers suddenly coming to a stop. It was silent for a few seconds before someone called, "Miley, Nick's here for you!"

I got up from the stool and picked up my purse, and dropped my sidekick inside. I walked out the kitchen and into the living room, where about 10 girls were seated in a circle, including some of the new girls. "Bye girls!" I exclaimed with a smile, and they returned it. I was trying to figure out if the smiles were real or not.

I opened the door to show a smiling Nick. He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly, and then took my hand and closed the door behind me.

He turned to look at me for a long moment, and I felt really self conscious about myself. This was the second time someone had done that to me in the past two hours. "What?" I stifled with a small smile.

"You're just so beautiful. You put everyone else to shame." He shrugged and continued walking down. I laughed softly and hurried my pace to catch up with him.

"It's okay if we walk, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, and we walked along the sidewalk, passing the rest of the sorority and fraternity houses and then leaving campus. We walked in silence in the brisk air, the only sounds coming from my heels clicking against the ground.

He led me into a small Italian restraunt, where he gave the hostess his name and we were seated almost immediately towards the back. He scooted my chair back for me and I sat down, and then he sat across from me. The hostess handed us both menus, and we looked through for a few minutes.

"So are you ready for school tomorrow?" Nick asked, folding up his menu and placing it to the right of him, on the edge of the table.

I shrugged. "Kind of. I don't really know what to expect. I guess I kind of always pictured things differently. I always imagined my last night before college buying loads of coffee with my roommate and preparing my first day of school look. Not out to a crazy ass restraunt with a hot boyfriend, not letting a worry pass me by." I laughed softly at the last sentence, and so did Nick.

"I think that this year will be better for me," he nodded. "Last year wasn't the best way to start college."

I remembered the girls' conversation earlier, and figured there was no time like the present. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but who is Hayden? I just heard some girls talking about her or something."

A nervous expression washed over his face, but was gone so quickly I wasn't even sure I saw it. His hand reached across the table to hold mine. "She was nobody, okay?" he assured with a small smile. "Don't worry about it."

I smiled and the waiter came over to take our drinks, ending the conversation.

But no matter what he said, I had a small feeling she wasn't just anybody. A part of me wanted to leave it alone, and just act like I didn't care. But the other part of me wanted to know what had happened. He seemed anxious to end the conversation, so I was sure that this wasn't just another girlfriend.

I was scared, but determined, to find out.

--

A/N: Hmm. Who could this mystery girl be? Review and you might find out!

x


	7. Seven

A/N: Thanks for the incredibleness, you guys . Love yaa :) Hope your Valentines Days were wonderful. I was grounded. Yeah, I know- it sucked. Take my advice, be good to your parents and dont do bad things. Haha :P

Hey, if you havent heard about it, go check out ttran59 and Miixaoo's challenge thing. I'm too lazy to tell you about it, so click on the link in my profile and go check it out yourself. I'll be participating, and it officially starts next week, so get moving. Let's hope I get back in my writing mojo before then, though. I've been a little out of it lately, and the other writers doing it are kind of like really really good, and then theres me, so... I'm just hoping that I get back into it.

And thanks to ttran59 for helping me on this chap with her knowledge on college life :)

Sorry if it takes me a while to update in the next few weeks or so. My grades went downhill in a week, and I'm plotting revenge against someone (haha), and theres quite a few boys in my life. And then I have this acting thing, and our competition is next week, and we already made it to the state championships too, so I'm going to be out of town in a few weeks anyways. And then tennis practice is starting again. Just warning you, please dont yell at me for slow updates. That goes for Broken too. But I've been pretty good writing ahead for this story. Broken, not so much.

Ah, sorry for the long note. Just had a lot to say. Enjoy the chapter.

* * *

**In a Moment**

**Seven**

I dropped the heavy textbooks on my bed and sighed deeply, already missing summer. The titles on the books were taunting me, reminding me about the studying and homework I had to do _already_.

I shoved the books to the end of the bed and jumped on the empty space, resting my head on my soft pillows. I was incredibly tired- I wasn't used to waking up at 7- and I had a later class, too. I decided to take a small nap and was drifting into sleep when my phone buzzed in my sweatshirt pocket. I rolled my eyes dramatically and opened the phone, seeing that Nick texted me.

_Barely saw you today :( How did your day go?_ It read.

_Okay, I guess. I'm not too excited about this whole college thing, but whatevs. Yours?_ I texted back.

_Terrible without you. Dinner tonight?_

I sighed, and bit my lip. I could skip class, or skip dinner. It was only my first day, so I decided to play it safe. _Class tonight. Breakfast tomorrow?_

I tapped my fingers on my phone while I waited for a response. _Class in the morning. Lunch?_

I rolled my eyes. How was this _ever_ going to work out if we both had uncoordinating schedules? _I'll only have a few minutes, but lets meet at our place. _

He sent a confirming message, and I fell into a light sleep. I woke a few hours later to my cell phone vibrating, and looked at the time. My eyes shot open and I burst out of bed, grabbing the textbook I needed and slinging my purse on my shoulder. I ran down the stairs and out of the house. I noticed that there were several girls sprawled around, painting their nails and braiding their hair, and I wondered how they weren't stressed like I was. _Maybe I just have harder classes_, was the thought that ran through my head.

By the end of the week, I was exhausted. I was drained physically and mentally, and didn't want anything else left to do. But that didn't stop me from wanting to see Nick.

Friday night, I was sitting on my computer, with Jade across the room on her laptop also, since she was too tired to party with the other girls. "Miley, its for you!" I heard someone call from downstairs. I sighed and got up from my bed and walked across the hardwood floors to the staircase. I saw Nick standing there, roses in hand, wearing a beat up black leather jacket, a white v-neck showing underneath. He cocked a crooked grin, and I rolled my eyes. "Wow, thanks for the warning," I muttered before hurrying back into my room. I shut my laptop closed and threw off my Juicy sweatsuit.

"Nick?" Jade asked, no emotion present in her voice.

I nodded and ran in the closet, grabbing a pair of distressed skinny jeans and a black tank. I slid my arms through a gray cardigan and slid my feet into a pair of black flip flops. I ran out of the closet and across the hall to the bathroom, and ran a brush through my long, curly locks. My eyes were tired, but I tried to perk them up with a few swipes of mascara and salmon-colored lipgloss. Satisfied, I grabbed my purse from the bed and ran down the stairs to meet my boyfriend.

He hugged me tightly, and then tilted his head and kissed me lightly. He grinned when he got a little bit of lipgloss on his lips, and I wiped it off for him.

We walked out of the house and I was surprised to see a slick, black convertible waiting idly on the street. I turned to him with shock, and he shrugged and looked away. I bounced down the steps and hurried to the car, not waiting for him to open the door for me. I slid onto the buttery leather seat and marveled at the beauty. He laughed at my innocence and got in the drivers seat. He turned the key in the ignition and began driving away.

"So how has school been?" he asked after a few silenced minutes. He released his right hand from the steering wheel to turn down the volume on the radio.

I rolled my eyes. "Terrible. Who gives a term paper and announces test dates the first day of school? It's so stupid. I have so much work to do, its sickening. I don't even want to think about the amount of homework I have to do this weekend." I cringed. "Is college really like this? All the work, I mean?"

He sighed. "Sadly, yes, but you get used to it. My first week was the same. Teachers give curriculum lectures and then dive right in into the material and expect you to be prepared. It's terrible." I nodded in agreement. "Are you getting a job? I know you have all that Hannah money, but its bound to run out sooner or later, right? Or is your dad covering all your expenses?"

My stomach churned, thinking about the fight I'd had with my dad two nights ago. I called him to talk, and after grilling me about not calling in two weeks, he was still fired up and had a lot on his mind, which included a job. He told me that I needed to learn responsibility and a job would do that, and by protesting I made him even more mad. I hung up with tears streaming down my cheeks, and ever since I'd been looking for places that hired. I wanted to show him that I valued his opinion.

I told Nick a little bit about what happened. "I filled out an application for Starbucks," I continued, "but they called this morning and said they found someone else. I'm back at the drawing board."

He nodded mutely. "There's a bakery downtown hiring if you want," he suggested. I shrugged and figured I'd check it out later.

"What about you? Where are you working?" I asked Nick.

"I'm trying to play at some shows, but they're all booked so far. I just want to get noticed."

I nodded, and then a sudden idea popped into my head. "Nick!" I exclaimed loudly, slapping myself on the forehead. I couldn't believe I hadn't thought about this earlier. "Hannah's record loves me! They hated seeing me go, so what if I replaced me with someone better?"

He looked over at me curiously to meet my excited eyes. "And the person better would be…"

"You!" I practically shouted. His face lit up. "I'll go in and convince them to listen to your music and sign you!"

He looked at me warily. "But you were a popstar. I'm not."

"So? Nick, they signed everyone from Shania to Josh to Flo Rida. This label isn't about genre or style at all. Trust me."

He smiled and took my hand. "You're the best," he whispered.

The smooth pavement suddenly turned to brown gravel, and he drove the car into the parking lot. I stretched my head, and a bright smile colored my face when I saw the top of a Farris Wheel and heard the sounds of young families on the rides. I grinned and pecked him on the cheek, ready for the adrenaline rush, and practically dragging him out of the car.

Three hours later, I was skipping through the park, cotton candy is one hand and Nick's hand in the other. I was beaming; my heart so satisfied and full that it could explode. We rode ride after ride, and thankfully his adrenaline rush was as big as mine. Somehow, in those few hours, I fell for him even more. Just the sight of his cute dimples as he laughed at clowns was enough to make me want to marry him in that moment.

We were sitting down at a red wooden table when the sound of his name being called rang across the dining area. He turned towards the direction the sound came from, and spotted a short, blonde beauty waving at him with admiration. Her tan skin was glowing and her bright blue eyes sparkled as she pranced towards our table. I bit my lip in disgust and couldn't help but be jealous of the girl standing before me. She was dressed in a white v-neck, purple cardigan, and dark skinny jeans tucked into suede boots. She had similar style to mine, but somehow looked model-gorgeous in a simple t-shirt and minimal makeup. I already hated her.

"Nick!" she exclaimed again, now by his side. He rose and hugged her politely, gesturing for her to sit next to him. "How have you been?" she asked curiously.

"I've been really great. Miley, this is my… good friend, Hayden. Hayden, this is my girlfriend Miley."

The color drained from my face as realization hit me. She turned to me with a cute smile and said a quick hello, before immediately turning her attention back to Nick.

I sat there in silence for close to an hour as the two caught up. I finally got up to the bathroom, stumbling a lame excuse, and left the table. I got in the bathroom and felt tears prick my eyes. I blinked them back quickly, and took my phone from my pocket. I called Jade, breathing slowly as the dial tone filled my ears.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jade, its me."

"Hey, Miles, whats up?" she asked.

"Hayden, whoever that is, is here. She showed up and she's been talking to Nick for the past hour! What do I do?" I was really unsure about calling Jade, but I knew that she'd give me the honest truth and I really didn't have anyone better to call.

"God, I cant believe she still wants to talk to him," she muttered in a low voice, and I was pretty sure she thought that I didn't hear it. "Just… just let them talk. They haven't talked in a few months, let them catch up, and then when she leaves you guys can go back to having fun by yourselves. Don't let her ruin your night."

I took a deep breath. "Okay."

After a few last words, I hung up the phone and left the bathroom stall. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, wiping a finger under each eyelid to fix the smudged eyeliner, and then went back into the warm night.

When I walked back over, Nick was sitting alone at the table, texting on his blackberry. I spotted Hayden as I walked by her at the concession stand. She was squirting yellow mustard onto a corn dog and I smiled and continued to walk, but she put her small hand around my arm and stopped me.

"Hey, I just wanted to tell you something, okay?" she asked quietly under her breath. I nodded. "Just… be careful, okay? You see, you think that you know someone but they might just turn out to be someone else. I don't know you or anything, but I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want Nick to hurt you like he hurt me." I glanced up at Nick, who was now staring at us with curious eyes.

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

* * *

A/N: Hmm, Nick has secrets? The story is starting to unveil, my friends.

Anyone have any interesting Valentines stories? Are you going to see the Jonas 3D movie??

Revieww and make me extremely happyy :)


	8. Eight

A/N: Thanks for the reviews:) Finally some crazyness happening.. just wait till the end. Dont peek, but I hope that you will be shocked. And read the A/N down there too.

Ugh. Very stressful week. Last night I got very little (translation: no) sleep, finishing Pride and Prejudice (which is actually really cute, if you look past the incredibly confusing speak), and writing a 15 page report on it, no joke, but I am posting this before school because im really excited for you guys to read this chapter. **Remember: Dont get mad at me if Nick seems different. I didnt write him in this story to be like he is in real life. Fiction, remember?**

Thanks to jss2420 for editing. If you havent, you should go check out her stories.

I dont own anything but my characters and plot

* * *

Eight;;

It seems like when you think you know someone, they end up proving you wrong. I knew that Nick was the person I thought he was, but I also wondered how much baggage he had. How many secrets and lies were behind those beautiful brown eyes. I trusted him with my whole heart and soul, and expected him to feel the same.

I adjusted the itchy blonde wig into place, and finger-brushed the bangs. I smiled at my reflection, a symbol of my past life, left the bathroom, and walked down the hallway.

I knocked on the door. "Come in!" a deep voice boomed. I turned the knob and pushed the door forward. "Hannah Montana!" my old record label president exclaimed. "Havent seen you in years, darling!" he smiled, wrapping his big arms around my petite frame.

"I know," I muttered, trying to push his body away from mine. He beamed at me and went back to sit behind his large wood desk.

"So what can I do for you, Miss Montana? The world is yours, my princess."

I internally cringed. Was I ever going to stop being treated like a little Barbie doll?

"Actually, I came to talk to you about a friend of mine. He has an amazing voice, and I think you should hear it. Just at least listen to the demo CD. Please just give him a shot. He won't waste your time, I can promise you that."

He looked at me skeptically, and I crossed my fingers. This had to happen for Nick. I had to use my stardom in some way, and this would be worth it. He tapped his fingers on the desk.

"I tell you what. I can't promise you anything, but we'll listen to him," he said. I smiled and took the CD labeled "Nick Jonas Demo" and handed it to him.

"You wont regret it," I promised. "Thank you so much."

He nodded his head, signaling I was free to leave. I waved and he smiled back at me, and I left the office. I went in the bathroom and texted Nick. "You're in!" I typed. While I was waiting for a response, I took out the bobby pins from my hair and took the wig off my head.

"No way! Wait, what? How?! You're amazing!" he typed back.

"I… or Hannah… has some connections, remember? They'll listen to it, which means you're in!"

I took off the metallic blue jacket and unwrapped the gold scarf around my neck. I looked in the mirror. Now, I was only wearing a white tank top, form-fitting jeans, and brown boots. I stuffed the clothes and wig in my oversized black purse, and walked out the bathroom. My phone buzzed, alerting me of the new message. "I think I have the best girlfriend on the planet :)" he wrote.

I took the elevator down to the first floor, and then left the building and found the taxi sitting idly at the curb where I left it. "Thanks," I said breathlessly, sliding into the back seat.

"No problem," he answered, and pulled out of the lot.

That night, Nick came over to thank me. As he stood on the doorstep, his smile couldn't have been bigger. I couldn't believe for a second that I doubted him. He needed me just as much as I needed him, and Hayden or any other girl would _never_ change that.

For one of the first times in my life, I felt happier for someone else than ever did for myself. Those record label executives would be terribly stupid to miss out on a chance like Nick.

* * *

"Hey Nicky," I greeted as I answered the phone.

"Hey, Miles. What're you up to?" he asked.

"Eh, nothing. Laundry. You?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the record company called this morning and they want to see me play tonight!"

"Great!" I exclaimed, putting down the stack of shirts I had in my hands and holding the phone against my ear. "When and where and I'm there!"

"It's tonight at the coffee shop next to our sandwich spot at 8. You'll be there, right?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," I promised. We talked for a little bit more before hanging up the phone. Around 7:30, I changed into a dark hip-hugging jeans and a light purple sweater and my black suede heels. I dragged along Jade and Elle and we walked together to the coffee shop, giggling and gossiping in the warm air, our arms linked together tightly. We got there and I held the door open as the two girls walked in. The comfortable, spacious shop was lit by dimmed lights and there was a stage set up at the front, where chairs sitting alone. Colorful flyers advertising 'Open Mic Night' were posted and stapled on every bulletin around the room. I spotted Nick at the front, behind the stage, with his guitar in hand. I shot Jade and Elle an apologetic look and threaded my way through the crowd of people across the room to greet him. He looked up and saw me, and caught me in his arms.

"I'm so glad you're here," he whispered, leaning in and kissing me.

"Next is Nick Jonas," a voice called, and a polite chorus of claps echoed through the room.

"Go get 'em," I whispered and poked his nose with my finger. He chuckled and walked to the stage. I walked back to where Jade and Elle were sitting at a table, and sat down next to them. Nick was adjusting the microphone, and I saw three men in black suits that I recognized from being Hannah walk in. Nick noticed them too, because he cleared his throat and nodded towards them.

"Hi, I'm Nick. Tonight I'll be playing a song I wrote especially for my amazing girlfriend Miley." He glanced over to me, and I squeezed Jade's hand. She squeezed back and looked at me with an excited smile.

He started playing, strumming the guitar. After a few chords, he began to sing, his incredible voice filling the room.

_In a crowded place, I see just your face  
And it looks so familiar_

I thought back to the moment we met. It was only a few weeks ago, but it felt like a lifetime. We shared what people spent their entire lives looking for, and that was love. And I could tell that Nick was thinking the same exact things as his eyes bore into mine.  
_  
I can't get to you, though I'm trying to  
There are just too many barriers_

_But I only see you, in all that I do  
To the rest I am blind  
I don't want something new, other than you,  
For the rest of my life_

I couldn't help but beam. His words, his lyrics, were beyond magical. He was my everything, my fortress, and I didn't know what I'd do without him. A life without him by my side would be hell.

_People talking loud, I can't hear the crowd  
You are so much more appealing  
I'll be honest girl, you've become my world  
And I'll spend my whole life wondering_

_'Cause I only see you, in all that I do  
To the rest I am blind  
I don't want something new, other than you,  
For the rest of my life_

I glanced over at the label executives, and they were smiling and nodding their heads to the beat. _He got it._

_Promise I'll always be there for you  
If you give me a chance  
Promise I'll never be less than true_

_'Cause I only see you, in all that I'll do  
To the rest I am blind  
I don't want something new, other than you  
For the rest of my life_

The crowd stood and cheered, and I ran to the front where he was standing tall, the smile on his face not being able to be held back. I engulfed him in a big hug, and he hugged me back tightly. "I love you," he whispered in my ear.

**Those 3 words**, _those 8 letters_, were everything I needed at the moment. I couldn't wait to spend forever with him.

"Nick!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim. We both broke away from the embrace and turned towards the voice.

Hayden stood in front of us, flowers in hand, and a bright smile plastered across her perfect features. "You did great!" she said proudly. She turned to me. "Miley, right? Nice to see you again!"

"Nice to see you too," I replied politely through clenched teeth.

"Listen, Nick, there's something _really_ important I need to talk to you about."

* * *

"It's for you!" Alexa called from downstairs after the doorbell chimed, and I quickly shut my laptop closed. That could only mean one thing - Nick was here. I was anxious to see him since the night before I hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. Hayden had taken him away to talk in the corner, and to me it looked like it was something serious. I went home with Jade and Elle and texted him about 5 times during the night, but he didn't respond to any of them. He couldn't be mad at me - besides, less than 24 hours ago he'd told me that he loved me. And because of me, he was about to get a record contract by a top label.

I slowly walked down the hardwood stairs, and then spotted my boyfriend standing at the bottom.

"_Nicky_!" I squealed, running down the rest, throwing my hands around his neck and running my fingers through his brown curly locks. He hugged me gently, and then pulled away. "What's wrong?" I asked. His eyebrows were furrowed in a frown and he seemed upset. I led him over to the couch and we both sat down, my hand stroking his.

He sighed, and looked away for a long second. "I need to leave," he whispered. His eyes were downcast and he avoided my stare.

"What? Why?" I asked softly, resting a gentle hand on his arm. "What is going on, Nick? Why did Hayden have to talk to you last night?"

He turned to me sharply. "Miley, God, just give me a second to think, okay?" he snapped. I flinched. He exhaled a long breath of air. He looked around the room, and the once he realized it was empty and everyone was outside, he continued.

"I'm going to Alabama to be with Hayden. Not to _be_ with her, but to stay with her for the time being." I opened my mouth to say something, but he interrupted. "Miley, just listen, okay? I need to see her. I know you don't like her, but after she talked to me last night… She needs me right now."

I bit my lip. What was going on? Why did everyone know something _I_ didn't? Why was Nick hiding the truth from me? Was this an act, or was she really in trouble? Would Nick still love me after all of this?

All of these unanswered questions were running through my head at light speed. Nick's silence made it worse.

"The reason why she called me, is because, she, she, she had to tell me something."

"Obviously," I smirked. He shot me a look and I shut my mouth quickly.

"She told me that she's pregnant. With… my baby."

* * *

  
A/N: Okay okay, before you get mad at me for making this like all the other stories, I can **PROMISE** you that this wont turn out like you think it will- it wont be another one of those cliche stories. There is about to be some CRAZY stuff happening, my friends. You can guess all you want, but only I know what psycho stuff will be goinn downn.

review and tell me if I did my job and your jaw dropped at that last line?

love you all, and have fun at the JB 3D movie! ill be there tonight for shuree... if I dont fall asleep first, that is :) I wonder who will be the lucky ones that will see jb pop into their theaters? Let me know how much you guys lovee it. anyone go to a midnight?


	9. Nine

A/N: Muchos gracias to the reviewers and to jss2420 for taking time out of her busy schedule to edit this story :)

And MegAn (Anon.)- I dont get what you were asking. Nick hasnt seen Hayden in months, and she already knew about the pregnancy so she just told him when she was saw him again. Dont overthink it too much, but if you're still confused let me know. I dont know how to reply to you (unless you have an account but didnt want to sign in or whatever), but I'll try to reply in the next chapter.

Dont worry, I've had a plan for this story since the beginning. It will all work out, I promise. Just maybe not in the ways you expect.

Oh yeah, thanks for voting in the niley challenge thing-- I got 3rd in both the first and second challenges!! Super excitedd and definitely boosted my writing confidence :) If you havent checked it out, you should. I dont have the link on my profile anymore but if you PM me I'll be sure to give it to you.

Sorry its taken forever for me to update my stories, by the way. Broken and Gravity might be another few weeks maybe. I've got the next of this all written out already though, so it should only be a few days to a week.

We skip some time in this chapter, by the way. I didnt want it to be New Moon-esque and have a few chapters of just how depressed she is.

Ugh, sorry. Longest A/N **EVER**.

* * *

In A Moment

Nine

His words kept echoing through my head. I tried to shut them out; I tried to block out those words, but nothing helped. Blaring, excessively loud music only gave me a headache, trying to focus on studying did nothing, and going out and getting drunk with the girls didn't even ease the pain. It felt like there was a gaping hole in my heart, and with each missed call and unanswered text, he just stretched the hole bigger. I wondered how big the hole could get before my heart just..._burst._

Every feeling, every emotion, that was running through my veins was anger. Pain. I clenced my fists harder, digging my nails into my palms as far as possible. I didn't even wince from the pain. Tears continued to stream down my face, and I sobbed into my covers, wishing for everything to disappear.

His face was printed in my mind. No matter what I tried to do or think, it stayed. It was staring back at me, laughing at how naïve I had been. I never wanted to see that face again. It had already been months since he left, but the same face still haunted me. The same words echoed over again and again: _"I have to be with her. She's pregnant."_

I slid open my phone again, and pressed speed dial one before putting the phone to my ear.

_Ring ring. Ring ring_. That was the only sound coming from my phone. I'd heard it so many times now that I probably knew the exact number of seconds between rings. _Hey, Nick here, leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can_. I groaned. The message machine - _again_. This time, I didn't hang up.

"Why haven't you called?" I said, the tears evident in my voice. "Why, Nick, why? Is it something I did?" My voice cracked, and I sniffed. "I hate you! Don't even think about ever calling or coming back again!" I screamed as loudly as possible. All the sounds in the house went silent. "I hate everything about you! I **hate** hate _hate_ you!"

I shut my phone, and let a few more tears escape before pushing them away and rising from my bed. I couldn't take this anymore. I opened my door and felt a rush of air, and then went into the bathroom, looking at my reflection in the mirror. It was almost embarrassing. My hair was full of grease and dirt, and my eyes were gray and lifeless. The dark bags under my eyes were evident, and I had acne spread all over my face for the first time since I was 16.

My phone rang, and it was my dad. I'd been avoiding his calls for the past few weeks. "Hello?" I answered meekly.

"Miley Stewart, what the hell is wrong with you?" a dark voice boomed on the other line. "Are you really doing this to yourself? Get your act back together now or I'll stop paying for the damn tuition!"

"Daddy?" I asked, my small and unused voice cracking, tears already streaming back down my face. "I'm so sorry, okay?"

"Honey, just tell me why you've been missing class and your grades have gone down in the gutter. Is something the matter?"

"Dad… it's just… Some stuff has happened and…"

"It's okay, Miles," he interrupted, his voice of rage now soft, comforting. "Just come home. You've already missed enough class, a few days wont hurt. Some time back home might straighten you up a bit."

"Okay." I took a deep breath.

"I love you, alright?" he said, and I could feel the warmth in his voice.

"I love you too, Daddy," I replied, and hung up the phone.

I walked downstairs, expecting the worse possible. I didn't blame them; after all, I'd been secluded from the world for the past 2 months. I went over to the toaster and put two sliced halves of a bagel into it. I felt their eyes on me, the worried and anxious glances, but I refused to look at them. I was nervous to hear their reactions.

After buttering my bagel, I sat down on the couch next to Lisa and tried my best to pay attention to the news. We were being notified about the weather when a sudden report came up. "New up and coming singer Nick Jonas in trouble? The suddenly popular singer of the hit single "I Only See You" has been seen back in Alabama. What is he doing there, and why? Our sources report that he has a girlfriend in San Diego, but he has been seen with a mysterious blonde 24/7 the past two weeks," the reporter stated. Pictures of him, black ray-ban clad, popped up on the screen and Lisa automatically turned off the TV. "Sorry," she murmured, shooting me a sorrowful look.

I shrugged and fought back the tears that were winning against my eyelids. I let them fall down my cheeks and seep onto my white tank. "Miley, if you need to talk to someone," Jade started, her soft voice fading as she rested a gentle hand on my back.

I stood, shaking off her embrace. "I don't need any help," I muttered, and began to walk back upstairs.

"Look, Miley, we know you're upset, but you cant go around moping all day. It's not healthy," she called.

"Screw you," I spat, and walked up the stairs. Old Miley never would have said that. Old Miley would've thanked her for the gesture, and told her what was going on. But Old Miley wouldn't have known what _love_ felt like. She wouldn't have been ready for what I was feeling.

I took my dad's advice.

I grabbed my favorite Balenciaga bag from the closet and stuffed my favorite pair of navy blue sweats and a sweatshirt inside, and then changed into blue distressed jeans and a white v-neck. I slid the black purse up my arm and onto my shoulder, and then picked up my laptop and cell phone from my bed and left the room.

"I'll be back," I called, and then left the house, shutting the door closed behind me. I heard a chorus of "where?" from inside, but didn't turn back. I called a taxi service and waited outside on the curb. Thankfully no one bothered to come out and check on me outside.

I got in the yellow car when it arrived, and the car drive back to Malibu was a grueling 3 hours, and with a million thoughts rushing through my mind, being distracted was the last thing possible.

I arrived a little past noon. My house looked the same as I left it, but it was almost eerily silent. It was weird not hearing Jackson screaming or my dad's country radio blasting from his second-floor room window.

I payed and thanked the taxi driver, and then slowly began walking up the walkway to my house. I stood on the porch, debating whether or not to knock. My stomach wretched into knots from nervousness, I raised a fist and slowly knocked on the door three times, not knowing what to anticipate.

"Baby girl, you don't have to knock," my dad smiled when opening the door wide. I wrapped my arms around him and he hugged me back tightly. "Is everything alright?" he whispered into my ear, tucking a strand of my brown hair behind my ear. I leaned against his chest.

"Everything is falling apart, Daddy," I cried into his white shirt. He sighed and guided me inside, sitting down next to me on the couch.

"Honey, just cry. I'll fetch you a piece of chocolate cake, and we'll settle this. You'll stay here tonight, alright? I'll get your room all set up for you with your favorite flowers."

I nodded with silent tears streaming down my face, hiding my face in my hands and curling up in a ball. I sat there sobbing relentlessly, when I finally fell into a light nap.

xx

I heard the door creak open, and my tear-stricken eyes slowly opened. Lilly was standing at the door smiling meekly. "Come in," I croaked, and then brought my legs up under my chin to have room for her to sit down. She hesitated for a moment before sitting down. "What are you doing here? I thought you hated me."

"Your dad called me," she explained quietly.

"You didn't have to come," I shrugged.

"No, I needed to. Listen, I'm sorry. For everything. For not being there when you needed me the most, for just blocking you from my life. I've been really down lately because I've just needed someone to talk to that will listen like you do."

I nodded slowly. "What about Oliver?" I asked.

"We're both hopelessly in love," she sighed dreamily. "Sorry, I know that doesn't help," she added. "But sometimes everyone just needs a girl friend that they can talk to. We always shared everything, and its just weird looking at your MySpace profile and not knowing a single one of your top friends or seeing the pictures from your parties."

I bit my lip. "Sorry. But I've really missed you too. I've made a few genuine friends, but they don't even compare to you."

Her eyes scanned my body for a while, studying me. "Miley… are you eating?" she asked slowly.

I laughed quickly, even though we both knew it was fake. "Of course, silly!"

"Miley, you're beautiful the way you are. You've never had problems with eating before. You have to stop now before it gets too late."

I shrugged and played with the hem on the red blanket that was resting on my lap. "I'm not anorexic. It's called bulimia."

She put a warm hand on my shoulder. "Miley, do you think its possible for you to stop this? Even if you want to lose weight, you can always just exercise more and eat healthier. Don't throw it up!"

"I've been doing it less and less lately," I sighed. "It's just hard… you know, trying to fit the standards."

"God, you're so beautiful the way you are Miley! Snap out of it!" she yelled at me, and then took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just… I just don't like seeing you like this. You deserve so much better," she added quietly.

"I know," I whispered, a tear pricking the corner of my eye. "I just got sucked into it, and... I didn't know where to go."

"You have me," she comforted, putting her hand over mine. "I may have been a bitch when you left… but I really do care about you, Miley. My life wouldn't have been the same without you."

I smiled and was about to reply when I heard my familiar "My Life Would Suck Without You" ringtone blaring, meaning that Nick was calling. I shot her an apologetic look, and then fished the phone from my purse on the floor. I looked at the name on the screen, and then pressed the green button. "Hello?" I said quietly.

"Miley, what the hell is going on?" he yelled, and I cringed and held my phone further from my ear.

"Are you kidding me? You're the one who's ignoring all of my damn calls!" I shouted back.

"I'm a little occupied at the moment, if you hadn't noticed," he shot back. I pressed the off button, and dropped the phone onto the couch, bursting into tears.

"I can tell you need to be alone. I'll call you later, okay?" Lilly whispered to me. I nodded mutely to her, and she left my house.

My wailing and sobbing finally subsided a few hours later after a soap-opera marathon with Ben & Jerry's. I was struck by an idea, and found my phone sandwiched in the middle of two couch cushions. I scrolled down my address book and reached Nick's name. I clicked on it, and pressed text, and then typed in 7 letters that would change my life.

_Goodbye._

**xx**

In a moment, everything can change. The person you trust with your life can turn the tables and be the opposite than you expected. It only takes that single moment, that single second, and everything that you know and trust can betray you. In that single moment, a whole world can come crashing down. And it only takes one person to completely destroy it.

The perfect life that I'd envisioned for so long had been shattered. My family and friends were already disappointed in the person I'd become, and the fact that I couldn't and wouldn't ever be happy again was petrifying. I didn't want to admit I was wrong, but I knew I was. I'd trusted the wrong person and let myself fall into the trap called **l o v e**.

I had _nothing_ left to live for.

* * *

A/N: A bit of foreshadowing. Thoughts? Predictions? Reviews are very welcome! :)

xoxo


	10. Ten

A/N: Oh my God, I dont know how I could possibly thank you all. The response to the last chapter was incredible, and like I told many of you, there is an update sooner. I love you reviewers and readers, you guys are just like the coolest people ever :)

Sorry for making Nick such a jerk last chapter. It just had to be done.

Longest chapter, but my favorite I think. Dramzzz!

* * *

Ten

_Later that night_

In a moment, everything can change. The person you trust with your life can turn the tables and be the opposite than you expected. It only takes that single moment, that single second, and everything that you know and trust can betray you. In that single moment, a whole world can come crashing down. And it only takes one person to destroy it.

The perfect life that I'd envisioned for so long had been shattered. My family and friends were already disappointed in the person I'd become, and the fact that I couldn't and wouldn't ever be happy again was petrifying. I didn't want to admit I was wrong, but I knew I was. I'd trusted the wrong person and let myself fall into the trap called **l o v e**.

I wished there were a storybook to life. We grow up, fall in love, and happily ever after. The end. But life isn't like that. It's scary, unpredictable, and there isn't always a happy ending. Sometimes, things just don't turn out the way we expect.

I had _nothing_ left to live for.

xx

They say that right before you die, your life flashes before your eyes, but all that flashed in front of me was his face - Taunting me, mocking me, smirking in a way that only he could make look attractive.

And that's when I knew that I couldn't live anymore. I had to jump, I had to get rid of this life that I'd been subjected to. It had to end. I didn't want to have one more breath come out of my mouth or one more small twitch of a limb that would remind me that I was still alive.

I took a deep breath, and heard a voice call my name. Of course, I wasn't thinking clearly, so the voice _had_ to be in my head. I shut my eyes, and let a tiny tear escape and trail down my cheek. I'd already written my will and notes to my dad, Jackson, Lilly, and Oliver, so I was ready to go.

I flung myself from the tower. I was flying fearlessly, and it seemed like I was never going to reach the ground. I just wanted to die already. I tumbled to the ground, cuts searing through my skin and my bones breaking violently.

And then it all went black.

xx

_"Oh my God, what am I going to do?"_ I heard a voice cry out. I had no idea where I was. My eyes were closed shut and I couldn't open my mouth to speak. I tried to open them both, but they felt glued shut. _"Shit, shit, shit. Why did I have to do this? Damn it, I shouldn't have left her like this. Should I call the ambulance?" _The mutters were growing louder and more frustrated. "Miley? Miley! Please, please wake up," the voice begged. I immediately recognized it. How could I _not_ remember his angelic voice? And how long had I been laying here for? "Please, wake up. I'm so sorry. Please. Just at least wake up, and you don't have to ever talk to me again, I know how mad you are. Crap. Should I call the police?" His voice was incredibly frantic, and he sounded like he would pass out any moment. I suddenly felt his sturdy arms around my waist, and it felt like I was being pulled off the ground. "I'll take her to the hospital. Yeah, that's what I'll do. Just get her to the hospital, and she'll be fine."

My mouth finally opened to speak, and my eyes slowly fluttered open. Was I really already in heaven? Wait, if I was in heaven, then why was Nick here?

"Nick? Did you kill yourself too?" I mumbled. His head automatically snapped back and his eyes were wide with relief.

"Miley? Miley! You're okay! Thank God!" he breathed. He placed me down on the grass, and sat next to me, his eyes searching my body for a sign that I was injured or hurt. "Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?" he asked.

I rubbed my head. "If this is heaven, then why do I feel pain?" I muttered. "Jesus, the pain in my leg is excruciating." It felt like needles were stabbing into the back of my leg. My forehead was also throbbing brutally, pounding against my skull.

"Miles, you're not in heaven," Nick said softly. "You're still here, alive. You're fine, don't worry."

My eyes snapped open. "Alive?" I demanded. "Are you kidding me?"

The night sky was dark but the bright moon illuminated the field with a soft light. I spotted the water tower a few feet away, and I unsuccessfully tried to get up. Nick took my hand and helped me to my feet, which made the pain in my leg pound even more. "You alright?" he asked. "I think you might've broken something."

I nodded, and then slowly stumbled towards the ladder to the tower. I put one foot on the rung, and hoisted my other foot up too. I began to slowly climb the ladder, when Nick shouted my name.

"What do you want now?" I snapped.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he yelled.

"Killing myself, since it didn't work the first time." Another step. I felt a pair of hands wrap around me and try to heave me from the ladder. I curled my fingers around the bar and tried to not let go. "You. Cant. Make. Me!" I shouted through my clenched jaw. I was surprised at how strong he was.

"Miley, let go! Come on, just come down now and we'll talk about this!" he exclaimed.

"No! There's nothing to talk about!" I cried. A lone, hot tear trailed down my skin.

"Please just let me explain!" he pleaded. I could hear the desperation in his voice.

I shook my head fervently. I began tired of fighting, and my body seemed like it was ready to let down on me. I was never going to make it up the ladder without collapsing, so I figured I'd just try again tomorrow.

My fingers slowly unwrapped and I turned around so that Nick was carrying me like a baby. My eyes shut closed. I was exhausted. I felt myself being placed on a soft cushion, and I opened my eyes to see that he'd put me in the back seat of his car. He took one last look at me, and then closed the passenger door and walked around the car to the drivers side. He turned the keys in the ignition and started the car.

"Your friends called me. Well, first Jade called me and told me you had gone missing and that you were beyond depressed. Let me tell you, if I had been talking to her in person, she would've thrown something at me. She was pissed." He let out a low chuckle. I glared at him. "I didn't know what to do, so I just stayed. And then your friend from Malibu, I think her name started with an L, like Leann or something, called me and told me you were a mess. She said that if I didn't get my ass back out to California, that something would happen to you. I didn't think that you'd ever go to suicide measures, though."

"I never though that the one person I loved unconditionally would stab my heart like that. And her name's Lilly," I replied bitterly. He looked at me in the rearview mirror, but stayed silent.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded a few minutes later. "Please don't take me to the hospital. I don't want anyone to find out what happened."

Nick was silent.

"Um, hello? Mr. Annoying up there? Are you going to answer my question or not?" I insisted.

"We're going to stay somewhere to rest before going back to school tomorrow," he answered quietly. "But you _need_ to see a doctor as soon as we get back. I'm pretty certain that your leg is broken, and we don't know if there's something else that could be hurt. But I'm not leaving you alone for a second. I don't trust you."

"I'll live," I grumbled. He shot me a look. "Okay," I muttered stubbornly. I shut my eyes, ready for sleep to overtake me.

My thoughts were drifting far away, and I was close to sleeping when he asked, "Will you ever forgive me?"

I opened my eyes back up, and looked at him through the mirror. His brown eyes were concentrated on mine. I looked down and inconspicuously wiped the tear that was falling down my cheek. "It depends."

"Depends on what?" he prodded.

I sighed. "On how long you give me."

"I'll give you forever if it means being with you," he whispered. I rolled my eyes.

"Please don't start the cheesy talk. That's not going to get you anywhere," I muttered.

"Miley, stop being difficult!" he snapped. His eyebrows were furrowed, and he was clenching his jaw tightly. His hands, wrapped on the steering wheel, were a pale shade of white from gripping it so hard.

"Well stop trying to ask for forgiveness! Just give me time! What did you expect, that right when you came back I'd be waiting for you with roses?" I replied sarcastically. "Give me a break!"

"Well, you _were_ about to die because I left you. Doesn't that mean that you still love me?"

My mouth shot open. "I was about to kill myself because I was done with life! Because of you! Even if I still love you, it doesn't mean I want to be with you anymore! How am I supposed to trust you anymore? Your biggest secret, and you kept it from me? I mean, I bet you knew about the pregnancy this whole time. You were just stringing me along because you knew that once I found out I'd break up with you!"

The tears seemed unstoppable now. I couldn't help that they were streaming down my face anymore. That was the least of my worries.

"I didn't know much longer than you!" he yelled back. "She told me that she was pregnant with my child and I didn't know how to react. What else was I supposed to do? Tell her, sucks for you because I have a better girlfriend? I'm serious, Miley, I wouldn't pull that on you. I would never want to hurt you like that."

I glared at him. "You don't think that leaving me to suffer wouldnt hurt? I don't think I've ever been more hurt in my life! You just left and didn't answer my texts or calls or anything! Right after you told me that you loved me! And then you call me 3 months later _yelling_ at me?" I exhaled the breath I'd been holding in, and let some more tears pour down. "You said that you, you said that you loved me! And what was I supposed to do during that time that I was without you? I had nobody to talk to, nowhere to go, nothing to do. Just thinking about you with her makes me sick. I hated you! I still hate you!" I screamed.

His eyes softened slightly. "Miles, I'm just… I'm just sorry, okay?" he replied in a much softer tone. The night outside was quiet as we drove through the empty field, the only sounds filling our ears was the engine of the truck. "The truth is, I was afraid that if I called you back and heard your voice, I'd come back to you in a second. Every second away from you was nearly impossible. And I needed to be with Hayden. She's having a goddamn child, Miley. But you are right, and I apologize."

"Sorry doesn't change anything," I whispered, and then leaned my head back against the seat and let my tears fall from my eyes. His arm stretched back to where I was rested and his hand brushed my leg softly. "You don't have to do this. You can just drop me off in San Diego and then fly back to Kentucky or wherever. I don't want to hold you back from anything. You should have- you deserve- the world, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I kept that from you."

"Miley, you know all I want is you."

"Really? It doesn't seem like that," I muttered.

"Miles, you just need to trust…"

"Trust?" I echoed, interrupting his sentence. "I'm so embarrassed to come back to my sorority because they all think- wait, no, you are- a man whore! The past few months, even while you were here, they kept looking down at me and whispering about you when they thought I wasn't listening."

"If I knew that all of this would happen…"

"It doesn't matter. What you've done is done. There's no going back now."

"I just wish things could be easy," he said simply but quietly.

"Yeah, that's what everyone says. But its not. It's life, and you have to suck it up. Sometimes things don't go the way you plan, but there's no go-backs in life. Every second of your life matters, Nicholas."

He bit his lip, still looking at me through the mirror. "I've never felt this way for anyone before. It's actually a little scary."

"You didn't even feel this with Malibu Barbie? Is that why you slept with her?" I yelled. His expression softened, and I immediately felt guilty.

We were silent in the car for a few minutes. "What happened to us?" I asked, tears pricking the corners of my eyes. "We used to have such a great relationship with each other, even when we weren't dating. It used to be just fun and playful. Now, I can't even smile when I'm around you."

"I guess… I guess you just have to forgive me and trust that I'm different than I was a few months ago." I coughed. "I swear, that jerk was never me. Besides, Hayden was in the room when I made that call. And Miley, no matter how long that takes, I'll be here waiting for you. There's nothing that you could do or say that could ever change my mind, _nothing_. Because I love you."

I stared at him. I never imagined that three words could ever feel so good to hear. It was almost like the broken pieces of my heart slowly were mending.

Every part of me wanted to forgive him, to take him back. Every part of me wanted to just forget what happened and be with him.

But I knew that he had someone else now. Even if he _wanted_ to be with me, I didn't want to steal anything from anyone.

But the biggest fear was trust. There was a tugging on my heart, telling me to stay away. He was bad news. He broke my heart once, and it wouldn't be hard to break it again.

Until I found out which feeling to follow, I drifted into a soft sleep, the only sound coming from the hum of the noisy truck. Other than that, it was silent.

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A/N: Mmm.. what will happen once they get back? And what ever happened to Hayden? Hmm.. questions that might be possibly answered next chapter (that will come once you review!!)

love yass :)


	11. Eleven

A/N: I know I need to update when my traffic goes way down. I'm really sorry for the delay on this, I am. And unfortunately it will be another few weeks (unless I finish the next chapter by Friday) because I'll be gone for a few days this weekend until about Wendsday, and then when I get back it will probably be unlikely that I write, since we'll be on Spring Break. So yeah. My apologies.

With this and Broken (my two nileys) wrapping up soon, I've started a few stories, but not sure which one is my favorite. Do me a favor and go to my profile, read the descriptions, and vote on the poll? It would mean a lot to me, and the one (or possibly two) with the most votes will become a story.

Thanks tons jss2420 for her loveliness and quick editing skills :) You rock girl.

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Eleven

He thought I couldn't hear their whispers. He was wrong. I might have broken three bones, but I wasn't deaf.

"Listen, just let her stay with me for a few days. I swear I won't hurt her or anything. She probably wont talk to me anyways. _Please_. I think I'm going to book a hotel room and take her there, since I don't want her to be around the sorority or fraternity."

I raised my head a little to peek through the glass window. Jade was staring at him with one hand on her hip and the other holding the door open. "How can I trust you after what you did to her?" she asked. I smiled; at least I had support from someone. "How do I know you're not just going to lock her up in that hotel room so she doesn't cause more of a scene than she already has and then go back to Mississippi or whatever, back to that slutty whore again?"

"Look. I was never with Hayden and I never will be. It's Miley that I want to be with." I rolled my eyes and glared at the back of his curly hair. "I'll bring her back in a few days, I promise. I just don't trust any of you to take care of her right now, seeing how you took care of her when I left. You can call her or anything, but she needs to take a break. I just came here to tell you so that you wouldn't freak out, and so that maybe you could go grab me some of her clothes or something."

Jade shook her head. "If you kidnap her, I swear-_"_ she had her finger pressed against his chest. "Your life will be over." She rolled her eyes dramatically and then disappeared.

For a bizarre reason, I was going along with Nick's plan. I called my dad the night before and told him I left and I felt better, thanks to a visit home, and he knew nothing. I briefly talked to Lilly also, because she was wondering if I was okay. I thanked her for looking out for me after everything I did to her.

We had driven through the night and checked into a hospital in the wee hours of dawn, the sun not yet risen. We found out that I broke a bone in my right leg, my left wrist, and a finger on my right hand. I was a mess. They had called my dad but I just explained that we got into a small car accident and it was nothing major. He was worried and wanted to come and see me, but I refused and said I'd be fine.

When we left the hospital, it was already night again and Nick refused to let me go back to the house. He said that those girls were half the reason I wanted to kill myself anyways (which provoked a loud fight), and insisted that I stayed with him in a hotel for a few nights.

And I agreed.

I was brought back to the present when I felt a heap of clothes land on my face a few minutes later. I picked up my head and found a few folded up shirts and jeans. I nodded to him as a thank you and then lied back down with my leg propped up and my crutches lying on the floor.

We drove downtown to the Embassy suites, and he got out of the car and put the front seat down to help me out of the car. He took my hand and I took it gladly, and we walked into the luxurious hotel feeling gritty and dirty. The woman behind the counter frowned at us with disapproval, but we took the key and headed up to our room on the fifth floor.

As soon as the door was pushed open, I fought ahead of him and shut myself in the bathroom. He could say and do what he wanted, but I needed _some_ space. I turned on the water of the shower, and then stripped off my clothes. I rested my crutches against the sink. I stepped into the cold marble of the shower and felt the hot shower beads hit my back, and nothing had ever felt better than that. I was careful to keep my casts dry, even though it was a large challenge and could've used help. I rinsed my hair and washed my body off, and then turned off the shower and dried my body with a white plush towel that the hotel had supplied, a cursive _E_ sowed into the cotton.

I wrapped the towel around my body and then ran my fingers through my long curls and tried to squeeze all of the excess water out. I ignored the crutches and hobbled to the door. I opened it and found Nick sitting on the bed with his elbows propped up on his knees and his eyes concentrated on the TV screen in front of him.

He turned his head and his brown eyes glanced up at me. The corner of his lips twitched into a small smile. He got up from the bed and passed me to get into the bathroom. "Don't kill yourself," he smiled before closing the door behind him. As soon as I heard the water start to run, I unwrapped the towel from my body and changed into a clean pair of black velour sweats and a white t-shirt. I shook my hair out, beads of water flying from my head, landing on the carpeted floor and the sheets of the bed behind me.

Even though it was still really early in the morning, I curled up under the covers of the bed. I tucked the comforter under my chin and stretched out my legs. There was a slight chill in the room from the air conditioner and the dampness of my wet hair against the pillow, but I quickly fell into a long, deep sleep.

xx

I woke up a few hours later to the crisp smell of bacon.

I rolled around in the bed and slowly opened my eyes. I looked out the window to my left and it was pitch black outside. I curiously rolled back over and looked at the clock. The numbers flashed 11:07 PM.

"Good morning, or night I should say, princess," I heard a perfect voice say. I sat up in the bed and rubbed my eyes, and then noticed Nick sitting on the floor with a blanket strewn around him and a white plate with 4 perfect rows of bacon. He was chewing it and watching the news on the TV.

"I know we only have one bed, but we can share. It's okay with me," I said softly. My voice was haggard and tired.

"Nah, it's okay. Go ahead. You've had a rough week," he said, turning around to look at me. I rolled my eyes.

"Nicky, get your butt up here. I'm not going to let you get a sore back because of me. By the way, why are you eating bacon at this time at night?" I asked.

He got up from the floor and motioned for me to scoot over. He sat down next to me, and I took a piece of bacon. He feigned shock. "Hey missy, watch it!" he exclaimed in a high-pitched girl voice. I giggled. "There's just really nothing better than breakfast for dinner. By the way, are you hungry?" he asked, worry suddenly washing over his face.

I shook my head. "I'm fine. But you didn't answer my question- why are you eating this late?"

"My brothers are in town and I went to have some lunch and then we went to the beach for a while. You were dead to the world; I figured I had at least a couple of hours."

I nodded. We sat eating in silence when we heard Nick's name being said on the TV. Our eyes both shot up in unison, and Nick reached for the remote to turn it up. "Nick Jonas- good boy like he seems? One week ago he was in the South with a past flame, but sources have revealed exclusively to E! that the singer has been seen checking into a San Diego hotel with current girlfriend. Is he juggling two girls at once? Find out on E! News tomorrow at 9."

Nick shook his head and turned off the television, causing the room to darken. "I don't get it. I've had one single out and I'm already on E! news? Ridiculous." It was silent in the room for a few minutes.

"If I ask you something, will you promise not to get mad at me?" I asked quietly.

He sighed, and then ran a hand through his brown curls. "Sure."

"Are you… positive the baby is yours?"

The silence in the room was deafening.

"I was going to save myself for marriage," he whispered. "I made a promise to myself and to God that no matter what, the only person that I would ever have sex with would be my future wife. It was such a spur of the moment thing, I never meant for things to get out of hand. But before I knew it, there it was. It was happening. But when it actually hit me that it was actually not what I wanted, it was too late.

"I know rumors went around how I just left Hayden, but I couldn't take it. I couldn't look her in the eye and tell her that I loved her when the truth was that it was never love. I think that I liked the idea of having someone like her, funny, gorgeous, athletic, smart; everything I wanted in a girl. But no matter how many times I sat up at night debating what to do, there was one thing that I was sure of, and that was that it would never work out.

"But to answer your question, I don't know. I don't think I actually knew her well enough to know she would never do that. I don't know. But right now, I honestly think she just needs a good friend. And if I get hated for it, so be it. She needs the help right now."

"Thanks." I played with the hem on the sheets.

"For what?"

"For not turning out to be the jerk I expected you to be. I guess what hurt the most was falling in love with you and then finding out you weren't who I expected."

"So I'm forgiven?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.

"No." His smile turned into a frown. "Give me a few days."

He nodded. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, go ahead and sleep," I whispered to him. He looked up at me.

"Are you sure? You're probably not tired at all, are you?"

"It's alright. You sleep. I might go take a walk or get some coffee. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

He nodded, and his lids slowly closed. I tucked the covers around him and then quietly slipped out of the bed. I slid off my sweats and put on a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweatshirt sitting in the corner of the room that looked very warm, and I assumed it was Nick's. I found my crutches lying on the floor next to the TV and propped them up under my armpits.

I saw a room card on the desk and slid it into my pocket. I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me, and then walked down the hallway to the elevator. It glided downward, a low hum being heard. I stepped out into the lobby and then walked out of the hotel, the cold air hitting me quickly. I gripped the handles on the crutches harder, trying not to let the coldness get to me.

I didn't have a destination in mind. In fact, I had no idea where the hell I was. But I kept walking. With every step, another tear would rise and slide down my cheek. I pushed my hair back and raised my hood over my head. Even though it was nearly midnight, many cars were driving down the street and strangers were passing me on the sidewalk. Many of them turned their heads to take a look at the crying crippled girl. I just fought off the temptation to give them the finger.

I looked at the busy intersection, and realized how easy it would be to just run in the middle of it and it would end quicker. No pain to go through, it would be quick and easy.

But my thoughts quickly flashed back to Nick's words in the hotel. I pictured Nick waking up in the morning to find me missing. He would scour the entire city before finding a newspaper article about the car crash. And then my sorority sisters would most likely kill him.

I also thought about the future. How easy it would be now that Nick and I had resolved things, for the most part.

I walked until the sun began to peek up behind the clouds. I found my way back to the hotel, and then went back in the room and discovered Nick still sleeping peacefully. I called room service, and ate in silence. My phone was going off like crazy. The first few times I saw it was Jade or Kimberely. Then my dad and Lilly and Oliver began to call. It came to the point where I had to turn off my phone. As I waited for Nick to wake up, I sat out on the balcony and watched the sun rise, the reflection playing on the clear water.

But regardless of any peace I felt, as soon as I heard the water running in the shower after Nick woke up, I turned my phone back on and ignored all the missed calls and messages. I dialed the number for the school.

"San Diego State Registration office, how may I help you?" the woman on the other line asked. I took a deep breath. Was I really going to do this?

"Hello, my name is Miley Stewart. I'd like to request a form to drop out of the school."

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A/N: Like crappiest chapter ever, but I wanted to post before I leave so I was in a small rush. Please review? Long ones are greatly appreciated.


	12. Twelve

A/N: I'm sorry for the wait. It's been a pretty bad week, from friend problems to my current health state (and I could use your prayers please?), but I have already typed up the next chapter so hopefully it wont be much longer for the next one.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews though (:

The polls have closed for the new story. It was tied between the two nileys, but after seeing the reactions to the first chapters of both from a few of my closest friends on here, I have decided. You're going to have to wait and see. But **I am looking for a beta-reader, if anyone is interested. **I'm super excited about it, and it should be posted sometime the next month.

Speaking of betas, thank you miss jen for editing with all your goodness (:

One last thing, I swear! Niley back on??? This is so crazy. I think we are all like psychic or something. Tell me your thoughts on it.

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Twelve

I thanked the barista and took the coffee he offered me. I took a long sip of the drink, imprinting lip gloss marks on the lid. I heard my phone start to buzz, and I set the cup down on an empty table. I unzipped my purse and rummaged through, finally finding my phone on the bottom.

"Hello?" I said, not bothering to look at the Caller-ID. I closed my purse and hoisted it back up on my shoulder, then took my drink and began to walk out of Starbucks.

"Miley? Where the hell are you?" It was Nick. He sounded extremely angry.

I frowned. "You told me I could go get some coffee. What's your deal?" I asked.

"I want you to get back to the hotel right now. I have something to discuss with you."

"Kay Dad," I said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes and then snapped the phone shut.

I walked to the side of the street where a yellow taxi was sitting idly. "Embassy suites?" I asked. He nodded his head, and I opened the door with my open hand. I sat on the seat and he began to drive, dropping me off a few minutes later. I handed him a 10 dollar bill and he returned the change. I thanked him and then walked into the hotel.

I took the elevator up and found Nick waiting impatiently in our room. "What took you so long?" he snapped as soon as I stepped through the door. I rolled my eyes.

"God, I came as soon as you called. Chill. What's your problem anyways?" I asked, clearly irritated with him.

"Do you want to explain why when I called the school to ask for all the homework you've missed they told me you weren't enrolled?" he yelled. I instantly felt bad. I thought I had more time - I didn't expect him to find out this quickly. I had wanted to tell him myself.

"Will you promise to stop yelling?" I asked meekly. He glared at me. "The thing is," I exhaled a long breath, "I decided to pull out."

"I kind of figured that out by now," he replied scathingly. He started to calm down, taking longer breaths. "I just don't get why."

"The school just wasn't for me. You see, I've gone through my whole life wanting for the best. I've always been determined and driven, but even though my mom went there, I couldn't take it anymore. The sorority girls already found out, and believe me, they are furious, but I am not going to suffer just to make other people happy. I want to do things for myself, not other people. And not you, either. And if you cant understand that, well, I'm sorry."

He nodded slowly. "I just have one last question." He looked me, and I motioned for him to go on. "Do you think there's any way that you and I will ever be… be able to be together? That we will ever be able to work things out?"

I looked up and stared into his beautiful brown eyes for a long minute. Words didn't seem to come.

"I need to go," I whispered, and turned towards the door.

My hand was on the handle when he shouted, "Miley, wait! Stop!"

I slowly turned back towards him. "I'm sorry," I said softly, shaking my head, my curls falling into my face.

"Really, Miles? Really? When things go wrong in life, you just run away? You can't deal to face them, so you just decide to not face them at all? Well news flash, princess, life is hard. It is unpredictable, it is crazy. But theres nothing you can do about that." His voice rang in my ears. "Imperfection is a big part of life, whether you like it or not. No one ever has a charmed life. But really, you need to get a grip. Deal with it for once. Instead of running away, face it, and show that you are strong and don't let others get to you."

I looked up at him with tears filling my eyes. "I just want to go home and be with my family and act like none of this ever happened," I whimpered, the tears spilling over and slowly trailing down my cheeks. "I want to get rid of it all."

"Then go," he said quietly, refusing to look at me. "Go. But all you will be doing is running away. I've been here for you this whole entire time, helping you through it, but if you are really going to leave this hotel room right now, I'm not coming after you." I breathed in sharply.

I turned and opened the door. "Goodbye Nick," I whispered, one last tear falling down my face, before leaving.

I left the hotel, and I didn't know where to go. I was in such a rush to leave that I didn't think about taking clothes with me. I hailed a taxi and then took it back to the sorority house.

I walked up the familiar path and knocked slowly. Hannah opened the door, and I looked at her with pleading eyes. "I'm sorry," I said softly. She nodded and let me in the house.

"Miley is here!" she shouted, and before I knew it, the room was filled with my former sisters.

Surprisingly, most of them wrapped me in a big group hug. I shut my eyes and felt much more comforted in the warmth of my friends. We stood there for minutes, maybe even hours, just hugging each other. And if felt right.

I broke away from the group with tears in my eyes. "Look guys, this isn't easy for me to say. As many of you probably know already, I have decided to drop out of the school. I don't know where I'm going or how I'm going to get there, but I know that this isn't meant for me. But the thing is, no matter where I find myself in life, I know that I will always have you guys as friends. I'll admit at first I was uneasy about the group, but I know for a fact that you guys will be there for me like I will be there for you. I love you."

Jade had tears in her eyes as she wrapped me in another hug. Before I knew it, I felt the warmth of the others around me again. And I knew it was going to be okay because I had the love I needed to go on into the world. Wherever that was.

I stayed for dinner and then packed up the rest of my things. I stood at the door that night, tears streaming down my face as I hugged each girl. I opened the door slowly, and then turned to look at them. "I love you guys, okay? Call me and text me and email me and write me and everything! Thank you for everything you ever taught me."

No one said a word, but I saw tears in their eyes as well. I waved one last time, and then ascended down the front steps. A large weight on my heart had just been removed.

Even though how things turned out with Nick were miserable, I somehow felt better. The day had been a mix of happy tears and sad ones. I boarded the nearby bus, and handed the driver my money. "Where to, miss?" he asked.

I stared at him and smiled. "You know what? I don't know."

He looked confused, but with all my baggage and suitcases, I walked to the back of the bus and sat down, propping my legs up on the seat next to me.

I opened my purse to take out my iPod and saw my phone flashing. "8 missed calls: Nick Jonas". I pressed my voice mail, and then listened to his voice pour through my ear.

"_Hey Miles, it's Nick. Listen, can you call me back? I think we should talk."_

"_Miley, it's me again. I wanted to talk to you. I guess I should apologize, even though what you are doing is stupid and irrational and you will probably end up getting raped or kidnapped or something terrible, which is the worst thing that could ever happen-"_

"_Sorry, I didn't know that the message machine would cut me off. But get off that bus or taxi or car or whatever right now. Please. Call me and I'll be there in seconds."_

"_It's me again. Are you ever going to pick up?"_

"_Miley Stewart! I demand that you pick up that phone this instant young lady!"_

"_If it makes you feel any better, I can't sleep. I have a bad feeling of this. Please, come back? Or at least call me?"_

"_I hope I won't have to call again. But Miley, I wanted to tell you something in case I don't get the chance to tell you ever again. Ever since the moment I met you, I have fallen deeply in love with you and I don't know if I'll be able to live with out you. Because forever-"_

His voice was cut off, and the machine asked about deleting the messages.

I pressed off, and then felt it vibrate suddenly in my hands. "Calling: Nick Jonas" flashed across the screen.

I pressed _Ignore_, rested my head against the window, and fell into a light sleep, one last tear trailing down my cheek.

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A/N: Thoughts??


	13. Thirteen

A/N: Muchos muchos muchos muchos gracias! I reached 100 reviews, and that was the second highest reviewed chapter :) So thank you! I appreciate it more than you could imagine. And thanks for the thoughts and prayers too :)

Thanks to Jen for editing this. Check out her stories! They're amazing.

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Thirteen

I trudged up the wet, muddy steps of the small inn, dropping my bags down on the wet porch when I finally reached the door. I knocked loudly, and seconds later a short old woman answered the door, smiling up at me with all her gums. "Oh my darling, would you look at that! Come in, dear, come in. Let's heat you up."

I shivered and nodded my head, and she took my heavy bags for me, setting them down in the front hall. She draped a wool blanket on my shoulders and led me to the living room where a fire was crackling warmly. I stared out the window as I felt the heat begin to seep over my skin, watching the rain fall in droplets and the wind rustle the trees.

"How did you get all the way out here? We don't usually get many visitors," the woman said, coming back out of the kitchen with a hot mug of tea. She handed it to me and I thanked her, sipping the hot liquid.

I shrugged. "I don't even know where this is. I was taking the bus, and I saw this random town and just got out. I kept walking and it started raining, and I couldn't find any places for a while. Then I found your cute little inn," I said, my teeth no longer chattering.

The woman smiled kindly, lighting up her entire face. She was small and frail, and reminded me of my grandma that had died a few years ago. "Well, I'm glad for some company. You can call me Miss Monica."

I smiled. "Miley." I extended my hand and shook hers. "You live alone here?" I asked.

She nodded slowly, and then rested her hand on mine. "My husband passed away 2 years ago. He always wanted to open an inn and meet all the people that would come in, so when he died, I opened it for him. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to me."

My gaze met hers, and I found myself wanting to know more. Tears welled up in her eyes, and then she looked away from me. "Miss Miley, why don't we get your stuff into a room?"

I looked at her for a long moment, then agreed. "Sure." She showed me to a cozy room upstairs with a queen-sized bed and wooden dresser in the corner of the room. The windows had light pink curtains and there was a closet on the other side of the room. "It's so cute," I grinned, and placed my stuff down. "Do you mind if I get changed real fast?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. Holler if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded, and then she left, closing the door behind her. I unzipped the bag that I knew had my comfort clothes in, and took out a clean pair of blue Victorias Secret sweats and a white tank top. I took off the wet clothes and then dried myself off with a towel I found sitting next to the bathroom and slipped on the warm clothes. I blowdried my hair in the bathroom and then threw it up in a bun on the top of my head.

The house was a comfortable silence; I could tell there were no other visitors there at the time. I found Miss Monica downstairs in the kitchen stirring a wooden stick in a mug of coffee. "Hey," I said softly, standing in the hallway.

She turned and smiled gently at me. I felt so connected to this woman after knowing her for mere moments.

She passed me, her mug in hand, and sat back down on the couch. She patted the seat beside her, and I came and sat.

"So tell me, where did you come from? Where are you going?" she asked curiously, her bright green eyes gleaming at me. I tucked my legs in criss-cross position and folded my hands in my lap.

"I was going to San Diego State this year. I pretty much had the perfect life, the perfect friends, the perfect boyfriend, but I just wasn't happy. I don't know what happened, but something happened with my boyfriend and I just had no place to go. I needed to get out."

She nodded, seeming to understand what I was saying. "Let me guess. This boy keeps on apologizing and you had to get away so you couldn't fall back into the temptation of wanting to be with him again."

I bit my lip. "Something like that," I smiled. "I just don't know what to do. I know I love him, I do. But I'm afraid of letting him back in. I'm afraid that I'm going to fully trust him again and then he will betray me, and the cycle will keep going on."

"You know," she placed her hand on my arm like my mother used to, "I used to have the biggest crush on my husband. We were in grade school, and he would chase me around the playground every day. And every day I would come home to my mother and ask her why he chased me around so much. I thought that he was trying to say that he pretty much hated me, so I ignored him and refused to let him borrow my crayons."

She giggled a little bit, and I couldn't help but grin. This woman was adorable.

"Anyways, we went to different middle schools and then met again in high school. We recognized each other right away, and I fell into such a deep love for him right away. It was pretty much inevitable. But let me tell you, as young as I was, I thought that there would be no way I could ever forgive that boy for chasing me around every day like that. I thought that the day I spoke to him again would be the day cows jumped over the moon. And guess what happened?"

She smiled and looked away, and I noticed a small tear trail down the side of her face. I moved so I was sitting right next to her, and wrapped my arms around her fragile body.

"Listen Miley, I just want you to give it a chance with Nick. Okay? Just give it a shot. Because if its meant to happen, it will. Why waste tears on other men that wont be worth it in the end when you could have the perfect boy right in front of you?"

I nodded slowly. "He made me attempt suicide and then saved me from it. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. As much as I want to hate him, he saved my life," I whispered.

"Call him. Right now. Just tell him how thankful you are for everything that happened, and tell him that when the time is right you will come back."

I stood, and leaned down to give her a hug. "Thank you soo much," I whispered. "You remind me so much of my mom."

"When did you lose her?" she whispered back, instantly knowing. I could never figure out how old people were so wise.

"When I was 7. But its okay." I stood up, and smiled at her before going up to the room and getting my phone from my bag. There were more missed calls, but he hadn't left another message.

I skipped down the stairs and opened the front door, walking out in the cool breeze. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, and I sat down on the wet steps, dialing his number.

He picked up after the first ring.

"Miley? Oh my God Miley, where the hell are you? I'm worried sick! You cant just leave like that!"

"Uh, Nicholas, I remember you yelling at me that if I wanted to leave I was free to go," I snapped, and then remembered what Monica said.

He sighed. "Yeah I know. I'm sorry. I flipped out. I didn't mean everything I said."

"Listen, Nick, I need to talk to you." He was silent, waiting for the words to come out of my mouth. "I-I just wanted to say thank you. For caring for me when no one else did. For being there for me when I fell; literally. For just being such a great friend through all of this. I owe you the world."

"You don't owe me anything," he said quietly. "I don't know if you heard my message- or messages- but… but Miley I do all of this because I love you. I've loved you since the moment you decided to invade my personal space at that party. You were so cute and innocent, and I fell for you so quickly."

I smiled, and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I never told anyone, but that night my parents told me they had gotten a divorce. It was really hard on me, and I just didn't know what to do. And then… I met you. And pretty much everything changed. And even to this day, things wouldn't be the same if you hadn't come into my life. So, consider us even."

I didn't know what to say; I was absolutely speechless.

"Miley?" he asked after a long moment of silence.

"You didn't need to say all that, Nick. But...thank you."

"You're alright, right? You're somewhere safe?" he asked.

"I'm perfect. And when the time is right, we _will_ find each other again," I said, repeating Miss Monica's words.

"Good. Call me whenever, Miley."

"Okay."

"Well, be safe. Don't talk to strangers."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye, Miley."

Suddenly, I couldn't let him hang up. I couldn't. I needed to tell him before it was too late.

"Nick!" I yelled. A few seconds went by of silence.

"Yeah?" I heard his voice ask.

I smiled slightly and sighed. "I love you, okay?"

A heavy burden was lifted off my heart. And it felt good. I looked in the window of the inn and saw Miss Monica standing there smiling at me, just like a mother or guardian angel.

"I love you too Miley," he said finally, and then the line went dead.


	14. Fourteen

A/N: Aahh.. this is the last official chapter! The epilogue will be next and posted soon. Thank you guys sooo much for the reviews, you are truly the best readers ever. And thanks to Jen for editing this :)

I have a question -- in my new story, I wrote all the Nick's as Nate but it can be legal as Nick now since the show has officially aired. Should I change it back or just leave it as is? It should be posted within the next week or so. I'm glad I chose the one I did too because I just saw that someone started a story with the same idea.

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Fourteen

I walked back into the inn and found Miss Monica waiting there with open arms. She gave me a warm hug, and I stood there in her arms, tiny tears trailing down my skin. "Everything will be alright, sweetie, I promise," she whispered into my ear, her hand rubbing my back like a mother would do to her injured child.

"What do you say we go bake some chocolate chip cookies?" she asked with a glimmer in her eyes. I smiled.

"You don't even know how good that sounds."

We walked into the kitchen, and she started opening cabinets and taking out ingredients. "Do you ever get lonely?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "I don't get too many fellows out here, but I like it. I can see why my husband wanted one of these inns so badly, it's nice to meet all of the interesting people that come through. But yeah, there are nights when I just sit knitting in front of the fire with no where to go or anyone to talk to. Then I get lonesome."

I nodded. "I know this might sound crazy to you, but could you ever imagine yourself loving anyone other than your husband?"

She sighed, and started measuring sugar into a bowl. "I couldn't _really_ imagine, but I suppose it's possible. He would want me to be happy anyways. Before he died when he was sitting there in the hospital bed, you know what he said to me?" she asked. A bright smile plastered across her face. I shook my head. "He said, 'Monica, I love you honey, but after I go, I don't want you to be sad or cry over me. I want you to miss me, but don't let that stop you from anything. Go on and live your life, and know I will be watching you from heaven with a smile on my face.'"

She smiled and placed her hand over her heart. "He sounds like an amazing man," I whispered to her, and like she had done to me before, I hugged her. And she cried right into my chest, her hands gripping my arms. If anyone else had done it, I might've been annoyed, but with her it was just sweet. She had gone through so much.

"Thank you Miley," she smiled, pulling back, then proceeded to turn on the oven like the previous exchange hadn't happened. "You are like the daughter I never had."

"You never had kids?" I asked curiously, mixing more ingredients into the bowl.

"Nope. We kind of just liked the company of each other. We lived in a neighborhood full of kids, anyways, so our friends would always rely on us as babysitters," she chuckled. "We never actually thought about it like an option."

"I want two boys and two girls," I declared, now turning on the mixer, watching the brown ingredients beginning to swirl together.

"Good for you," she smiled.

We finished mixing the cookie batter and then scooped up small balls of dough and placed them on a silver cookie sheet. They sat in the oven, and I put my finger in the bowl and ate the remaining dough with a grin on my face.

"Why Miss Miley, you're going to get sick! Those are raw eggs!" she exclaimed. I giggled.

"It tastes delicious and reminds me of home," I shrugged, eating another bite. She sighed and shook her head at me.

The night was relaxing and we just sat by the fire, eating cookies and talking about our lives before. I had learned so much from her, and I was sad to think that I would have to leave sooner or later. I would rather just live here with Monica for the rest of my life, talking and laughing and not having a single care in the world. It sounded fantastic to me.

In the morning, I borrowed one of her old bikes that was hiding in a shed in the back of the lawn. I rode to town and bought a sandwich and did some shopping. Riding in the wind with my hair blown back and my aviator sunglasses perched on the bridge of my nose never felt better. I took off my sandals and threw them in the basket at the front of the bike, and began to sing. Not _Hannah Montana_ sing, but just sing like I would in the shower, only quieter. People turned to look at me, and while some smiled and nodded to me, others looked confused. But that was alright. Because my idea of happiness was singing for myself; never anyone else.

I got off the bike at the central plaza and began to stroll around. I was browsing through the magazine rack when a stunning guy around my age walked over to me.

"Hi, could you please tell me where I can find this store?" he asked, pointing to a brochure.

I shrugged and smiled. "Sorry, I don't live here, so I wouldn't know."

He grinned at me, and I noticed how pretty of a smile he had. It lit up his entire face.

"Uh, this might be weird coming from a stranger, but would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" He cocked his head to the side, his bright blue eyes gleaming down at me.

I was about to answer when Nick's face appeared in my mind. _I love you. I love you. I love you. _His words kept repeating in my head.

I smiled politely to the man in front of me. "I'm sorry, but I'm deeply in love with someone else and I don't think that anyone will ever be able to change that, even slightly."

Wow, what was happening to me? It wasn't like me to walk around proclaiming my love for someone else.

"Lucky guy," he grinned and with a nod of his head he walked away. And I didn't feel one ounce of regret.

I rode my bike back to the inn and parked it back in the shed where I found it. I walked into the house and found Miss Monica reading a book on the couch. I settled down next to her and helped myself to a red wool blanket and wrapped it around my body. The weather was still cool outside.

We sat for a few minutes in silence when suddenly a loud tapping came from the door. I looked at Miss Monica curiously. "Looks like you've got another visitor," I stated.

She looked up from the book perched on her lap at the door and then glanced back at me. "Miley, would you mind getting that for me?" she smiled.

I wasn't exactly sure why, but I did as told. I walked to the door and planted a smile on my face before swinging the big wooden door open. "Hi, can we-"

I was cut short when I saw who was standing there.

"Talking to you on the phone wasn't enough for me. I needed to see your beautiful face. And to tell you that Hayden's baby isn't even mine, either, so you don't need to worry about that, okay? Miley, its just-_"_

I cut him off by pressing my lips against his. He looked at me and smiled when I pulled away, his brown eyes gazing into mine. "I've missed you Miles."

"I'll be right back!" I called into the house.

"Be back before midnight!" Miss Monica hollered back with a giggle, and then I shut the door. I smiled; it was only 3 in the afternoon.

"What are you doing here?" I asked with a wide smile, wrapping my arms around his body in a tight hug. "Even though it's only been a few days it has felt like a lifetime," I whispered into his ear.

"Come on, let's take a walk," he grinned, taking my hand and leading me down the steps.

We walked for a few minutes in silence, the autumn leaves crunching beneath our feet.

"So the baby isn't actually yours?" I asked, referring back to what he had said when I first answered the door.

He shook his head. "Bitch," I muttered under my breath. "Are you, like, completely pissed at her?"

He shrugged his shoulders and squeezed my hand. I liked the feeling of his hand in mine again; it was like the two pieces of the puzzle had finally fallen back into place. "At first I was. Her stupid lie tore us apart and pretty much ruined me. But I have moved on and forgiven, because I have all that really matters to me now and what happened in the past was in the past. And my future- well, I want it to be you." He looked at me and smiled, his brown eyes gleaming.

"I'm glad that everything is turning out now," I said with a gentle smile. "I think that this time our love is going to be greater and stronger than it was, because we have something that is different from other people. We have gone through so much and still cant help but fall for each other and make it out okay."

He stopped and leaned down to kiss me lightly on my lips. "I love you," he whispered into my ear. I loved hearing that. I couldn't help but grin.

"Do you know what you are going to do?" he asked and continued to walk.

I nodded. "I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and I'm going to go back to school. Just not in San Diego. I would like to enroll at Pepperdine University in Malibu next semester and get my degree in business. I can live really close to home and do what I really want without distractions, and then go from there. It's a drive to San Diego to see you, I did consider that, but I am willing to drive up every other day if you want me to. It can work if we work at it."

"Whatever you want, Miles. You could go to school in New York and I would buy flights every weekend to see you. You are the world to me, and what you want is what I want. And I am glad that you are going to go to a school that you are happy at."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Any time."

"What are you thinking about?" I wondered as we continued to walk, clearly lost in the woods. But we were too happy and content to care.

"You. Life. Happiness. Just how good things are right now."

I nodded, and suddenly Nick stopped in his tracks. "What's up Nick?" I asked. He ran his fingers through his hair with a crooked smile plastered on his face.

"Okay, you are going to think I am going insane. So please don't laugh in my face."

I frowned. "Will you please tell me what is going on?"

He got down on one knee right there in the middle of the forest. "So what if we are 18 years old? So what?" he yelled, but I am pretty sure it wasn't at me. Then he took a deep breath and stared into my eyes. "I am asking you this: a few years down the road, will you marry me? I don't need a swear or anything, because feelings can always change, but I want to know that you would be willing to be with me for the rest of your life. That you would be able to spend forever with me and love me unconditionally, like I would to you too. Do I have your word?"

I grinned and felt tears rise in my eyes. "Of course, Nick! I cant imagine being anywhere _but_ at your side."

A wide smile broke out across his face and he got up and gave me the most passionate kiss I'd ever had. I felt all the anger, sadness, frustration, happiness, but mostly **l o v e**.

And with him by my side, we would be unstoppable. Nothing in the world could break us apart.

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A/N: Was it alright?? Review my lovees (:


	15. Epilogue

A/N: I couldnt help but want to post early after seeing all the reviews. And so here it is. I'm glad I've finally finished a story and I loved this one so much and the people I met through it. But sadly, it has to come to an end. I want to thank every single person who has ever reviewed, even if it was two words. I see every one and every review makes me smile. That also goes for the people that have alerted and/or favorited and just by reading you've kept me going. So thank you to every single one of you. Loveeyouuhhh! And I owe a bigg thanks to Jen (jss2420) for editing almost every single chapter of this story and just helping me out :)

You guys rock my world, seriously. Thank you.

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Epilogue

Several Years Later

Dear Miss Monica,

I feel like I haven't talked to you in ages - even though we talked on the phone yesterday morning! But that was brief, and I wanted to give you the latest on all the news. I miss you lots, though; me and Nick would like to visit soon.

First of all, thank you _so_ much for letting Nick and I have our wedding at your inn. It was such a beautiful ceremony with all the candles and the flower petals everywhere, and especially having it on a warm summer evening with the sun setting. It was just like I had imagined when I was a little girl – but more. I was glad that most of my friends were able to make it, including Lilly and Oliver, and Jake Ryan with his fiancée. I am so blessed to have the friends that I do. So thank you for all of your help with that.

Now, for the exciting part: I have some good news to share, and you were one of the first I wanted to share it with.

We are pregnant with our first child! I couldn't be happier. I can't stop staring at my stomach and picturing all the great memories we will have with him or her. I will be happy with whatever gender God decides to give us, but I would like a girl. Nick's friends provide enough testosterone in the house. It would be nice to have someone to dress up and play Barbies with again. Nick is hoping for a boy though. He claims that he will be the next rockstar. _Right_. Our baby girl could be a international pop sensation, too.

But anyways, I would like you to be his or her godmother. You mean the world to me, and without you I would probably not be at the place I'm at now. You have been there for me through so much and even though you are getting older and older each day and closer to finally seeing God's kingdom, I want you to be in the baby's life as much as possible.

We have finally finished the last details with our record label and finishing the studio and we are currently about to sign an up-and-coming singer from Nashville. He sings from his heart and brings a lot of joy to all of the people around him. We know that he's going to be big, and so we are excited that we will be backing him up with that. I know Nick _loves_ writing with him in the studio, too.

Overall, we are great. How are you? How is that man that you started dating a few weeks ago, Charlie? I hope something happens with you two. When I met him, I saw the way he looked at you. You guys may be 80 years old, but that never stopped anyone from falling in love. Just promise me I can be in your wedding ;)

Nick is calling me and I've got to go, but come and see us soon? We'd really love that. We still have to show you the wedding pictures we got back from the framer's. They look beautiful.

Love you and miss you!

Best wishes,

Miley xo

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A/N: I would appreciate any reviews :) Did you like how the story turned out? Stay tuned for the new story coming soon! xoxo


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